Publication date: November 30th, 2020
Synopsis:
You've probably heard of me.
Reclusive fantasy author turned famous when his series got developed into a mega TV hit.
Except now I'm way behind deadline, and the whole world is waiting to see what I'll write next.
The pressure is getting to me, and I. Can't. Write.
Cue: small town where people don't recognize me.
Cue: my assistant insisting on a personal chef to keep me fed and nothing more.
Cue: finding the first bit of inspiration I've felt in months whenever she's around...
Am I a walking cliché now, or what?
Dani Cooper seems to have her own hurdles to jump this holiday season. Newly divorced, looking for her next move. She's the first person who's seen me for me in way too long. And I see her, too--as way more than just an employee, a divorcee, a cook. She's becoming my muse...
But when my Christmas deadline hits, will it spell the end of us, too?
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Excerpt
Out of nowhere, a massive black and white mutt lunged at me, almost knocking me backwards. I didn't have time to fear for my life as the dog started licking my face and slapping my legs with his tail. I grabbed his leash as a woman came huffing around the bend.
"Ralph!" she yelled, running toward me with open arms. She wore navy blue sweats with a matching sweatshirt tied around her waist. And a white tank top that left little to the imagination. "Ralph Waggum! You get over here!"
I handed her the leash, careful not to look her in the boobs, even though they were certainly staring at me. "I choo-choo-choose you," I said.
"Excuse me?" Rosiness bloomed on her cheeks.
"Ralph Wiggum?" I said. "'I choo-choo-choose you?' The Simpsons?"
"Oh, okay." She laughed as Ralph attempted to drag her off the road and into the woods. "My daughter named him. She's the Simpsons fan." The woman, her wavy, brown hair cascading over her shoulders, dug in her heels and refused to budge. I had to smile. She'd done this before with her dog. "He's the worst."
"He's spirited."
"He's an asshole." She grinned at me, forming little crinkles next to her sparkling gray-blue eyes. "Thanks for grabbing him. I wouldn't know how to break it to my daughter that I lost her dog. Again. Like I said, the worst."
On instinct, I checked her hand. No ring. Not that it mattered. She was just a cute stranger taking her dog for a walk, and I was a busy writer on a tight deadline who had holed up in this remote resort to work, work, work. I was like Jack Torrence without the family to murder.
"You should watch it though," I said.
"Watch what?" Her eyes narrowed in confusion.
"The Simpsons," I told her, like I was letting her in on our obscure secret and not singing the praises of a show that had been on television and in syndication for three decades. Way to be smooth, Matt.
I had no problem chatting up the women I met at various comic cons around the country, women who knew who I was and were just looking to hook up with a semi-famous author. I was often happy to oblige them. But this dog's owner appeared to have no clue who I was, and winning the favor of a woman on my own merits had never been my strong suit.
"Anyway..." I said. "Glad I could save your relationship with your daughter."
I turned to walk away, but the woman said, "I'll definitely check it out."
I spun back around and she was grinning at me, almost laughing.
She shot me a flirty wink. "The Sampsons, was it? Thanks for the tip."
I longed to keep the banter going, to use another Simpsons quote on her or to ask her to come over and watch an episode or two tonight, but I stopped myself. For one thing, I really didn't have the luxury to sit around watching shows I'd already seen fifty-seven times, and for another, how could I be sure that she wasn't pretending not to know me and was just another person wondering what they could gain from befriending M.C. Bradford?
I shot her one last smile before flipping my headphones back onto my head and taking off running again.
USA Today bestselling author Julie Hammerle writes young adult novels that focus on nerds, geeks, and basket cases falling in love. On the YA side, she is the author of The Sound of US (Entangled TEEN, 2016) and the North Pole romance series (Entangled Crush, 2017). For adult romances, look for Knocked-Up Cinderella in the fall of 2018. A graduate of Butler University with degrees in secondary education and Latin with a minor in music, Julie lives in Chicago with her family and enjoys reading, cooking, and watching all the television.
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