Sweet Proposal by Celia J Anderson
Books, chocolate and a Jacuzzi:
could there be a better combination? Gorgeous Geordie Leo arrives in
Clayton-on-the-Bream with a mission to make his mark. When he reveals his ideas
for a bespoke bookshop and chocolate-themed cafe, struggling writer Mab can’t
resist his plea for help.
However, Leo’s timing is
disastrous. Engaged to flighty, super-thin Sophie and knowing that Mab is up to
her neck in a mysterious scheme of her own, Leo fights hard to ignore the warm,
sensual friendship that is growing between them. When their eclectic mix of
family and friends weigh in to help, the dream seems almost possible, but can
Leo ignore Mab’s shady past? As they battle with sabotage, jealousy, vindictive
neighbours and unpredictable relationships, Mab and Leo find that even
chocolate can’t always make miracles happen . . .
Available from:
*****
Excerpt:
Leo swerved to avoid a dead
badger. The A1 was still so quiet that groups of starlings rose in disgruntled
crowds as he disturbed their breakfast, and the café where he had once eaten
the best bacon sandwich of his life was firmly shuttered.
He gave in to the violent rumblings
of his stomach and reached into the glove box, tearing the emergency chocolate
bar open with his teeth and chewing until the bitter sweetness melted on his
tongue, soothing and sensual. Chocolate and the future – they were closely
linked in Leo’s mind. He sighed deeply. It was a pity that Sophie didn’t share
his enthusiasm, but he supposed it was hard to get enthusiastic about a
chocolate-based dream when all you ate was lettuce. Sophie was only twenty-five
after all, ten years younger than Leo, stunningly beautiful and harder to amuse
than a teenager on a family holiday. Maybe after they were married she would
realise what a brilliant opportunity this move was going to be, and would be
ready to leave Newcastle and her weird friends behind.
Stretching his legs, Leo decided
that this cab must have been designed for a much smaller man. He yawned, felt
his eyelids droop and blinked furiously, thinking of hot baths and strong
coffee. He’d had no sleep for almost twenty-four hours. Celebrating was fine, but
work would have to come first from now on. It was time for the Chocolate
Project. The excitement that had been building up in waves washed over Leo
again, and he gave the middle-aged lady driving towards him the full benefit of
his flashing grin and dimples. He saw her jaw drop and laughed for the sheer
joy of living – at last, Leo was about to make his mark, and no one was going to stop him.
*****
Author Bio:
When she’s not marking children’s work, or
writing stories involving pants, Celia spends far too much time on Facebook
(Celia Joy Anderson) and does a lot of walking to counteract the cooking,
eating and drinking which form another of her hobbies. She blogs as part of the
Romaniacs online writers’ group - http://theromaniacgroup.wordpress.com
and tweets as @CeliaAnderson1. Her own website was recently launched thanks to
Lucy Felthouse – http://celiajanderson.co.uk
and she has an author page on Facebook (Celia J Anderson)
Her ultimate dream is to have her
children’s books published too. Usually sea-starved in the depths of the
Midlands, she can often be found wandering happily around Brighton visiting her
two daughters and pretending to collect ideas for her next book.
6 comments:
You had me at chocolate:) Really like the sound of your book:) Best of luck, Celia.
we do like sweet proposals :)
Sometimes chocolate is all it takes, other times maybe not
Hey T.F.,don't you love her cover?
You bettcha, Dez.
Hi Pat, chocolate works for me:)
Post a Comment