Thursday, June 19, 2014

Coming Home by Holly Kerr Excerpt & Guest Post


Title: Coming Home
Author: Holly Kerr
Publisher: Etopia Press
Pages: 495
Genre: Women’s Fiction
Format: Kindle
Purchase at AMAZON
Loving your sisters is easy. Liking them is the hard part.

Brenna Ebans always wanted more than what Hill n’Valley could give her, so it seemed a simple decision to follow her black-sheep sister Dory’s footsteps and leave Hill n’Valley in her rearview, hoping to locate their missing father. Leaving her sisters and her first love Seamus was harder than she thought, but she’s made a life for herself in Vancouver, started her career at a prestigious law firm, and has found the man of her dreams. But when she finds her husband Toby in a compromising position at work, she loses both her love and her job, and has nowhere to go but home.

Youngest sister Cat has remained in Hill n’Valley, leaving a string of broken hearts—and ex-husbands—in her wake. She’s happy living in the family home, with the ghost of their dead mother to keep her company during the day, and her latest conquest—Brenna’s old boyfriend, Seamus—to keep her warm at night. And she’s less than thrilled to hear about Brenna’s return.

But when tragedy strikes, it brings their father back to Hill n’Valley, and the sisters will have a lot of issues to resolve… 


Book Excerpt:
One little decision changed my life.
The choice I made to follow my husband into the supply closet at work was it for me.
I was in the middle of finalizing the paperwork of a 2.5 billion dollar acquisition for one of my most problematic clients when my sister Cayleigh called. I almost didn’t take the call. I loved my sister dearly but talking to her on the phone meant a certain guilt trip about why I couldn’t find the time to come home for a visit. I much preferred our weekly email communications. Yes, it’d been fourteen years since I’d left home at eighteen and no, I hadn’t managed to come home even once since then. At first it was because I couldn’t afford the ticket to fly home halfway across the country and then it was because of being swamped with school and then work and then…
Instead of trying to justify it to myself, I picked up the phone with a last longing look at the neat file on my desk. I’d been surviving on pure adrenaline for the past three days trying to get the deal done and to everyone’s amazement, but mine, I had done it. I had found the one little loophole that had changed everything and put the power back in my client’s hands. Complicated yes, tedious to some, but I loved my work. It left me no time or inclination for a social life and my hours spent at work both in the office and at home aggravated my husband Toby to no end, but I loved it.
At least I told myself I loved it.
I was listening to Cayleigh tell me some story when my assistant Krystal poked her head into my office to drop another file on my desk with a big smile. There were two yellow post-it notes: “Call them ASAP” with a happy face and “I’m leaving in 10 mins”, with an even bigger happy face. It was already five thirty on a Monday and I wasn’t getting out of here anytime soon. I was going to have to cancel yet another dinner with Toby. We both worked for Davis and Daniels, Attorneys at Law, so it was possible he was as swamped as I was.
Doubtful. My hours at the firm were so long these days that Toby had given up driving me home from work, forcing me to take the bus if I worked late because I didn’t have my own car. I should have really found time to buy a car.
“Are you coming home for Addison’s wedding?” Cayleigh asked, over the phone. I pulled myself back to the reason Cayleigh had called. “Maggie said you haven’t sent your RSVP back.” Addison was the oldest daughter of my oldest sister Maggie and I didn’t remember being told she was engaged let alone being invited to the wedding. I definitely had no clue who she was marrying. I rummaged through my inbox as Cayleigh tried to guilt me into going home for the wedding. I had two inboxes on my desk—one for personal matters and one for work. The contents of the work one were spread over my desk in an orderly manner while the personal one was overflowing and neglected. I spent the majority of my time in my office so I had begun to get my mail forwarded there about a year ago.
“Oh, Cay…work is just so crazy and—” There was the invitation; still unopened in the middle of the pile with my name written in sparkly green ink, along with a credit card bill and an invitation to join the newest fitness center in the area. “It’s been really bad—really busy,” I corrected. “I’m doing this deal and no one thought it was going to come together but I managed it and—”

“You’re always busy. You work over Christmas and you never take vacations. Look at how late it is and you’re still there. It’s been years since you’ve been home, Brenna, and if it wasn’t for your Facebook page, which you never update anyway, I wouldn’t remember what you look like. Come home.” I was readying my arguments but Cayleigh didn’t give me the chance. “Addison’s wedding is in two weeks. Maggie needs you to be there. It’s her daughter. It’s Maggie.”

About the Author
Ask any writer and they'll tell you they have always wrote and Holly Kerr is no exception. She’s written stories about bunnies dodging cars and sisters dying, distracting the cute boy in class and dark plots to kill your best friend's husband.  Coming Home is her latest novel, a story about sisters who can’t get along and living in a small town, two things she knows more than a little about!  A self-professed geek, she loves anything to do with Star Wars, super heroes, Joss Whedon and Harry Potter. She also enjoys running, playing in the dirt and sharing a glass of wine with friends.
Her latest book is the women’s fiction, Coming Home.
For More Information

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Guest Post: 
10 Things to Know About Holly Kerr
*I worship the creative genius of Joss Whedon! He could write those drug warnings in magazines and I would devour every syllable.  From Buffy to the Avengers, Firefly to Dollhouse,  I love everything he’s done, except that cabin in the woods movie because I don't do scary movies any more

*I used to watch a lot of horror movies as a teenager, and now I don’t because I’m older and wiser and don’t enjoy being scared silly.  Plus, it’s scary enough raising kids – I don’t need the added stress!

*I also love anything Star Wars related and even have an extensive collection of the books.  While I’m sad the new Star Wars movie won’t be following the books, I’m still waiting with bated breath for the 2016 release date and will be there on opening day in my Princess Leia outfit!  I’m in awe of how George Lucas’s vision of a simple tale of good vs. evil created an entire world of interconnecting books, movies and videos 
I find it difficult to do anything without music in the background.  You’d think with kids, I should relish the quiet, but no.

*I like mayo with my French fries instead of ketchup. Garlic mayo preferably. St. Louis’ garlic dill sauce would be best

*I love roller coasters but not the way my head feels after I ride them. My limit is now 5 in one day. :(

*I make the best mushroom risotto of anyone I know. Not to brag but this includes professionals

*I hate the taste of coffee but love the smell except when I've spent too long in Starbucks and then I really hate the smell of myself. I do love their green tea lattes though

*I prefer potato chips over chocolate and sometimes feel I might be the only women who does, except my mother.

*I would love a dog but I love my husband and he does not love dogs.  So I like to borrow my friends’
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