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Showing posts with label More Beginnings. Show all posts
Showing posts with label More Beginnings. Show all posts

New Release: Iris Blobel "Little Beginnings" #newrelease #Romance #MFRWAuthor @CleanReads_


“I suppose it doesn’t hurt to dream sometimes.”


~~  Little Beginnings ~~
by Iris Blobel



♥♦♥  ~  OUT NOW  ~  ♥♦♥


♥♦♥  SYNOPSIS ♥♦♥


A blind date that doesn't happen might lead to love.


After her divorce, Jeri Belmont moved to Hobart and now runs a successful art gallery. When her niece sets her up with a neighbour, Jeri expects a blind date like the many she’s had. But she never expected her date wouldn’t even show up because of her age. Despite feeling unjustly judged, when she unexpectedly runs into him again, she finds it hard to ignore Ely’s charm.

Ely Lennox knows he shouldn’t have skipped the blind date because of the lady’s age. After all, it had only been a date, not a lifetime commitment. When his carpentry business takes him right to the woman he bailed out on, his guilt turns into regret when he finds out she’s everything a man could hope for. How can he convince Jeri that he knows acting so immaturely was a big mistake? 
Will she ever forgive him? Or is she hiding behind something else?




♥♦♥ MEET THE AUTHOR ♥♦♥
IRIS BLOBEL

Iris Blobel was born and raised in Germany and only immigrated to Australia in the late 1990s. Having had the travel bug most of her life, Iris spent quite some time living in Scotland, London as well as Canada where she her husband. Her love for putting her stories onto paper has only emerged recently, but now her laptop is a constant companion.

Iris resides west of Melbourne with her husband and her two beautiful daughters.

Next to her job at a private school, she also presents a German Program at the local Community Radio.


Social Media Links:
Instagram: https:/www.instagram.com/iris_blobel/


EXCERPT:

Jeri Belmont checked the time on her watch. It was twenty past six, and they’d agreed to meet at six.
He was late!
Steaming inside, and less than impressed by her blind date, she took another sip of the Chardonnay as she gazed around the restaurant. Everyone was engulfed in their conversations, but occasionally one of the patrons glanced at her. She shrugged it off, confident in sitting on her own in the town’s most elegant restaurant.
What she couldn’t shrug off, though, was her date being late.
She drank the last little bit of her wine, paid, and left. A deep disappointment settled in the pit of her stomach, surprising her, because it hadn’t been the first time she’d been on a blind date that ended with the guy not showing up.
She suppressed a groan as she thought of the man she’d met only a few weeks earlier. Admittedly, he’d been nice, but not at all what he’d pretended to be in the details she received from the “Your Future Heart” agency.
Yet, this rejection hurt inside. Olivia had told her so much about her neighbour, and she’d trusted her niece when she’d assured he’d be there.
Olivia was Georgia’s daughter. Georgia was Jeri’s cousin, but to avoid confusion they all agreed on Olivia being her niece. Jeri loved Olivia like her own daughter and had often babysat her when she’d been younger. They’d been to movies, concerts, and Jeri had even been along to one of her niece’s trips to Melbourne to visit Olivia’s best friend Mia, who had moved across the Bass Strait.
As Jeri walked down the streets to her car, she replayed her conversation with her niece in her mind.
“How are your blind dates going?” her niece had asked as she came into Jeri’s gallery a couple of days ago.
She’d shrugged. “I have a winner’s luck getting hooked up with all the duds in town.” Jeri remembered hesitating, contemplating whether to speak the words in her head. Was she destined to live alone after her divorce? She wasn’t looking for the man of her dreams, just companionship. Someone to go out with once in a while. Someone to share her day’s highlights or nightmares with.

“You should meet the guy from next door,” Olivia said. “He’s like sex on legs. Honestly.”

Tuesday Tales - CHRISTMAS SHORT STORY - Where #Authors #Write to a #prompt ~ #romance #love




Welcome to Tuesday ... Welcome to Tuesday Tales ...

The Tuesday Tales authors decided to write a little Christmas story this week. I've revisited Sophie and Mia Levesque from "New Beginnings".

I hope you like it.

I wish you all a wonderful Christmas season and a Happy New Year. May it be a joyous and blessed time for you all. I would also like to give you my humble and sincere thanks for your support throughout the year, I really appreciate it.





Sophie Levesque breathed in and out, in and out, trying hard to ignore the pain, and hoping for the paramedics to arrive soon.
“Sure, you don’t want me to drive you to the hospital?” her husband Mark asked.
She glared at him as she breathed in and out again.
Her sister Mia gently placed a pillow under her head. “Keep breathing. In and out.”
Sophie grabbed her sister’s wrist. “I know what to do,” she said through gritted teeth.
“Geesh,” Mia’s fiancĂ©e Josh commented. “A bit touchy isn’t she.”
The doorbell rang and Josh headed towards the front door. Sophie heard muffled voices and a bark of laughter.
“Great timing, Soph,” Zach said as he stepped into the room, closely followed by his wife, Natasha. “The Christmas Eve service is starting in half an hour.”
An urge to push overwhelmed Sophie and she squeezed Mia’s wrist and reached out for Mark’s hand.
“No pushing, honey. Don’t push. Breathe, keep on breathing.”
If Sophie could’ve, she’d hit him with another glare.
Natasha came closer and sat next to her. “Aiming for your own little Christmas story, are you?”
“Okay, everyone,” Sophie panted. “Forget the paramedics. Get whatever it is you need to deliver a baby.”
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed helpless stares. “Go!” she screamed as the next urge to push hit her.
“I think I heard something about warm water,” someone said.
“And towels.”
“A blanket.”
When Mark made a move to leave, she held on tight to his hand. “You,” she gasped. “You stay here.”
He nodded. “What do you want me to do?”
“You need to look whether you can see the baby.”
Mark’s eyebrows shot up as he paled.
“Oh for God’s sake, Mark. Nothing you haven’t seen before.”
“Well,” he stuttered. “They were different circumstances.”
“Get used to these circumstances,” she screamed as another wave of pain hit her.
Mark moved her dress up her legs and took off her panties. “Honey, it’s not the best sight, but … oh my God …”
“What?”
“I can see the head,” he said excitedly. “Holy shit.”
Mia returned with the water, Natasha had some towels in her hands, and Zach gave her a sip of water. In the corner of the room sat Josh, right next to the Christmas tree with the phone in his hand, pale as a block of goat cheese, taking instructions from the doctor.
Over the next fifteen minutes, Sophie pushed, screamed, and ordered everyone around. By the time the paramedics arrived, Sophie held a little baby in her arms, with Mark by her side.
“It seems we’re late,” one of the paramedics said with a smile. He stepped closer and knelt in front of Sophie. “What’s his name?”
“Her name is Natalie.”
“Perfect and so appropriate. Congratulations.”


Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 23/08/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared's met Ivy, a hitchhiker ... I skipped forward a little, they're now having some lunch.
Enjoy!


~~~




"What brings you to the USA, Jared?" she asked, hoping to find out more about the very handsome stranger in front of her.
But he only shrugged and said, "Holidays."
How can he casually say holidays? Assuming that holidays were the same as what Americans called vacations, she thought she'd never had vacations in her life, let alone go to another country to have vacations.
"Australia is supposed to be beautiful. Why didn't you drive around with your RV down there?"
He raised one eyebrow at her, and she wasn't sure what that meant. Staring at him, he simply stared back.
"Are you running?" she asked carefully.
"Nope, I'm drivin'."
Letting out an exasperated sigh, she said, "I meant in—"
His laughter startled her. "Nah, I'm not running." Then he met her gaze dead on. "But you are."
The words were quietly spoken, but still went through her like a knife. Not sure why, though, because she had done nothing wrong. Yet, she still wasn't so sure about her companion. The waitress took their order and, even though Ivy ordered only a small sandwich, he added an extra serving of fries for her. It annoyed her, and she was determined not to eat it.
"For what it's worth, I'm not running," she said after a long moment of silence.

 

 

Buy Links:
Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 16/08/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared has just arrived in the US.
Enjoy!

~~~




"So, what brings ya out into the middle of the sticks?"

When there was no reply, he turned and looked at her. There was a big frown on her face, and he sighed.

"I thought you all speak English as well?"

"We do," she said with a slight giggle. "But I'm not so sure about you Australians."

With a grin he replied, "Now, don't be cheeky, Ivy."

"Don't bite the hand that feeds you, my mom always said." She laughed. "No way would I make fun of you."

"So, you're expectin' a meal as well?"

There was a moment of silence again, and he glanced over. The smile was gone and panic was written all over her face.

"I… I didn't—"

Quickly he reached out for her hand. "I'm pulling your leg." And when she didn't reply again, he muttered, "This thing with you Americans not understanding English is turning into a problem. I was kiddin'."

"Pulling your leg?" She shook her head. "Never heard of it."

A bark of laughter filled the small space. "Anyway. Talkin' about food. There's a small place ahead. Want some lunch?"

 

 

Buy Links:
Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 09/08/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared has just arrived in the US.
Enjoy!

~~~






She turned to get into the motorhome, and he took in her small stature and the narrow shoulders which seemed even smaller in her tight, red T-shirt. Jared noticed her cargoes were just hanging onto her hips. A nice steak wouldn't go astray on these hips. Suddenly she stopped and moved to look at him. "Thank you," she whispered.

"No worries mate."

Jared held her gaze and wasn't quite sure what to say or do. She simply stood in front of him like frozen.

"My name is Ivy," she said after a long moment.

"Hedera. An evergreen climbing or ground-creeping woody plant in the family Araliaceae."

With a frown, she stared at him. "I really didn't understand that one."

He laughed. "Sorry, mate. I got carried away. I'm a landscaper. Ivy is a climbing plant." Scratching the back of his head, he added, slightly self-conscious, "And, of course, a beautiful name."


 
 

Buy Links:
Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 02/08/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared has just arrived in the US.
Enjoy!

~~~





Jared had a feeling she didn't want to, but her current situation didn't give her many choices. There they were in the middle of nowhere, with the next place a fair few miles away.

"Name's Jared," he said and then he opened the door and walked around the motorhome. Leaning against the vehicle, he looked at her. She was pretty. Thin, but pretty. When her brown eyes met his, he experienced another one of those heart tugs and wasn't impressed at all. He tried to look right past her. It wasn't happening though. They were like magnets.

"Jared," he repeated and held out his hand.

Her look went right past him into the distance, and he assumed she was fighting with herself, part of her wanting to get off the road, the other part being worried.

"Anybody else travelling with you?" she asked quietly.

He shook his head. "Nope."

She closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and, after a brief moment, reached for his hand. "Nice meeting you."

 
 

Buy Links: Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 26/07/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared has just arrived in the US.
Enjoy!

~~~



"G'day!" He stared at her and for some reason something tugged at his heart. Not that he wanted that. He had no room for women, let alone American ones. They all were on earth to make life complicated. Mark was constantly running around for Sophie or Hope, even though Mark's wife was one in a million and little Hope was simply adorable, especially when she was asleep.

"Ya know it's dangerous to hitch a ride," he finally said when she was still quiet.

She stared at him for a moment, but then replied with the typical American twang in her voice. "I know you said something, but I have no idea what."

He chuckled. "It is dangerous to hitchhike," he repeated with exaggerated pronunciation.

The woman stepped a bit closer to the window. "Are you from Austria?"

He laughed aloud.

"Australia, I meant," she added, seemingly embarrassed by the mistake.



 

 


Buy Links: Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Snippet Sunday - FRESH BEGINNINGS 19/07/2015 #romance #amreading #Route66



~~~
FRESH BEGINNINGS
We continue with Fresh Beginnings, Jared's story as he travels through five states
 in the US in a Motorhome. I used our itinerary from our US travels two years ago
 and wrote a romance story around in.
Jared has just arrived in the US.
Enjoy!

~~~




But the RV drove right past her as well. With a heavy sigh she turned and grabbed the water bottle out of her bag, when, out of the corner of her eye, she noticed the RV was pulling over in the distance. She tried to remind herself of the rules. The driver was not allowed to be creepy. Shouldn't be old. In theory shouldn't be a man… she sighed again. Yes, right. What would be her chances to get anywhere with that list?

She looked again and nothing was happening. Carefully, she walked towards the RV and noticed the passenger side window moving down.

On the tip of her toes, she looked in. "Hi there," she said hesitantly and, with all the strength she had, reminded herself that her feet were aching and the water was getting low as well.

"G'day!" A nice, booming voice came from over the other side.

She couldn't help but smile.

 


Buy Links: Amazon Australia: http://bit.ly/1y0N4bo
Amazon US: http://amzn.to/1s7xTiq
Smashwords: http://bit.ly/1pBrpEY
Barnes & Noble:  http://bit.ly/1nqaT6t





Thanks for all your comments,
I do appreciate each single one of them!
And check out Snippet Sunday  Facebook site for other writers.

 



Get hooked on "New Beginnings" 15/07/15 #MFRWHook #amreading #99cents


 
 Happy "Book Hook" Day
Let's have some "New Beginnings"
 
 
 

 
"New Beginnings" is set in Australia, in the wonderful State Tasmania.    

 

   
 
I hope you get hooked by this Snippet
 
Blurb:

Twenty-two-year-old Sophie Levesque has been guardian to eight-year-old sister Mia since their mother's death a few years ago. Luck comes their way when they inherit a small house in Hobart. Problem is though, they don't know or have never heard of Clara Bellinger, the testator, and Sophie is afraid it's all been a mistake.
As Mia settles well into her new school and life in general, Sophie is not only occupied by her search of what connected her to Clara, but also her new studies and the two men, who suddenly have become part of her daily life - Mark O'Connor, the lawyer representing Clara's estate, and Zach, the hunk from across the road.
 
 
Today's hook


Mark took the suitcase from the boot of his car and walked towards the house, opened the gate, and placed the girls’ belongings next to the fence. He turned, and Sophie made no effort in hiding the struggle with emotions.
“That’s it. This is Forty-Six Chestnut Avenue,” he told them.
It was all too much for her, and she sat down onto her suitcase and took everything in. She stared at the old brick-built English cottage house. A small path ahead of her led to two worn out steps and up to the arched entrance. Tucking a strand of hair behind her ear, her gaze moved over to the windows. Multi-pane windows with shutters and flower boxes in front. Beautiful. Though the flowers seemed long dead. The garden was true to the cottage style, but looked wild and unattended. It was in need of a lot of work. She looked up and saw a chimney and instantly thought about cold winter evenings in front of the open fire. She’d heard that Hobart was very cold during winter. And then she just cried. Emotions that had bottled up over the years surfaced, and she wasn’t able to hold back any longer.

 

only 99cents
 
 
4 Stars:
An interesting introduction to these two sisters. Their relationship is gorgeous, and they care for each other fiercely. Set in Southern Tasmania, what a wonderful place to start a whole new life and find out just how your life got to be the way it was and begin to heal. I enjoyed the story and the setting very much.
 
4 Stars:
This was a very enjoyable read and it left me wanting just a little bit more. I highly recommend it.
 
4 Stars:
Sophie and Mark are an irresistible match from the beginning. While getting closer and connected to them individually as the story progressed, I couldn't help but want them to be together. This author has a way of endearing her characters and it is easy to fall in love with them. An intriguing story with emotion, love and hope. A very enjoyable read! I received a copy in exchange for an honest review.