It’s party time!!!
I’m thrilled that my second book, The Nurse’s Perfect Match, officially releases today (May 6) in North America! To celebrate, I’m giving away two print copies (worldwide, wherever The Book Depository delivers) on my blog today.
In-person appearances and media events:
I’m doing a live radio interview today with Jay Jay at 1WayFM (Canberra, Australia) after 1pm Australian Eastern Standard Time, May 6. We’re giving away print copies of Falling for the Farmer and The Nurse’s Perfect Match. You can listen to the program live on the internet at the following link.
http://www.1wayfm.com.au/audio-lounge/
On Saturday, May 10, I’m doing a book signing for Falling for the Farmer at Koorong, Fyshwick (Canberra, Australia) from 2pm.
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The Nurse’s Perfect Match is the second book in my Snowgum Creek series. Amy, a minor character in Falling for the Farmer, is the heroine in The Nurse’s Perfect Match. The story starts a couple of years after Falling for the Farmer ends.
NURSE AMY WILKINS HAS COME HOME
After her marriage ends in tragedy, Amy returns to Snowgum Creek to rebuild her life. There she meets widower Ben Morton, who’s not looking for romance, though his young children are eager for Amy’s attention. She’s given up on her dream of being a mother, but can’t ignore how she’s drawn to Ben’s little ones, and to their handsome farmer dad.
As love kindles between Ben and Amy, she worries how she’ll ever measure up to the wife he lost. And Ben is concerned about how Amy will ever truly fit into life on the farm. They could be the answer to each other’s prayers—if the secret Amy is keeping doesn’t tear them apart.
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CHAPTER ONE Excerpt:
The V-8 engine roared to life. Amy Wilkins stood at the side of the road, her shaky hands clutching her purse. The car sped away, dust and gravel spraying into the still night air. She pulled her jacket closer around her chilled body as the rumble of the engine receded.
Her pulse slowed and she sucked in a deep breath, glad she had chosen to wear jeans and comfortable shoes tonight. She trailed her fingertips along her arm. It stung where she had wrenched it out of his rock-solid grip. A two-mile walk home was preferable to his rotten company.
The distant glow of streetlights in Snowgum Creek and the full moon hovering overhead lit her path beside the deserted country road. She kicked a stone out of the way, not caring about the damage to her designer-label leather boot. Back home for four weeks and she’d already found trouble. If only she’d followed her mother’s recommendation for a handyman instead of employing an old school friend.
Tears built in her eyes and she bit her lower lip, refusing to let them flow. She had made a mistake in trusting him, but it wouldn’t happen again. Jed’s charming smile had hidden a dark heart and an arrogance she didn’t remember from their school days. How dare he assume she was desperate for male attention, just because she was a twenty-seven-year-old widow?
The headlights of an approaching car illuminated the isolated road. She dipped her head, hoping the driver would ignore her. The high beams blinded her and she squeezed her eyes shut. Her throat tightened as the light passed, the brakes squeaked and the vehicle slowed. Please, Lord, keep me safe. I don’t need any more problems tonight.
Gravel crunched under the car’s tires and the vehicle swung around, headlights brightening the road ahead. She sighed, her mouth set in a grim line as she turned to face it.
She stepped away from the edge of the road, a flicker of hope igniting in her heart. The people in the car could be concerned citizens who were willing to help her without asking too many questions.
The headlights dimmed and the car crawled to a stop, the passenger window lowered. A young girl rested her head on a pillow in the backseat, her innocent face serene as she slept.
Amy took a few hesitant steps forward and crouched to look inside the car. A younger boy slept beside the girl and a familiar pair of chocolate-brown eyes met her gaze from the driver’s seat. Ben Morton.
She swallowed hard, captivated by the warmth emanating from his eyes. Now in his early thirties, his handsome face had matured, and the family resemblance to Luke, her boss and Ben’s younger brother, was more pronounced. She hadn’t spoken to Ben in years, not since she was his younger sister Rachel’s best friend in high school.
His enigmatic eyes narrowed and a frown hovered over his full lips. “Amy, what are you doing out here all alone?”
She bristled at his curt tone, reminded of the times she’d gotten into mischief with Rachel in the apple orchards. “It’s a long story.”
She took a step back, stretching out her tense back muscles.
“Where are you headed?”
She squared her shoulders. “Home.”
“Walking? At this time of night?” He leaned over and opened the passenger door. “No, thanks. I can walk-”
“You look frozen.” His voice softened. “Please get in before my kids catch a cold.”
She slid into the passenger seat, warm air blasting her face from the console. He raised the automatic window and she fumbled with her seat belt, finally securing it and keeping her gaze lowered.
Silence filled the car, broken only by the idling engine and the soft breathing of the children in the back. She inhaled a hint of his aftershave, and her body tensed, aware of his muscular presence only inches away from her. Moonlight through the windshield lit up the interior of the car. How could she explain her current predicament without sounding like an idiot?
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Contest terms and conditions:
Please complete the form below to enter the drawing to win one of two print copies of The Nurse’s Perfect Match.
You can receive an extra entry in the drawing by signing up to receive email notifications when my new books release. Current subscribers to my email list will automatically receive an extra entry.
The maximum number of entries per person in the drawing is two. The winners will be announced in a comment on this blog post on Tuesday, May 20.
“Void where prohibited; the odds of winning depend on the number of entrants. Entering the giveaway is considered a confirmation of eligibility on behalf of the enterer in accord with these rules and any pertaining local/federal/international laws.”
THIS GIVEAWAY HAS CLOSED.
To receive an extra entry in the drawing, please subscribe to my email list. You will only receive two emails when I have a new book releasing, and your personal information will not be disclosed to anyone or used for any other purposes. The emails may contain special information and benefits for my email subscribers only.
http://www.narelleatkins.com/subscribe.html
Good luck in the drawing! More information on my book launch schedule and additional giveaways can be found here.
