The Jacks of Her Heart by Virginia McCullough Excerpt, Giveaway & Interview

The Jacks of Her Heart

by Virginia McCullough

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

BLURB:

“A pure delight! I fell in love with Jack instantly—and the storybook town of Capehart Bay.”

—Lily Silver, Author of The Rock Star Next Door

Lorna Lindstrom and Jack Young just got married in the tropics—and their grownup kids don’t like it one bit...

Mere acquaintances in their hometown of Capehart Bay, Wisconsin, Jack and Lorna turn up on the same Caribbean cruise. They soon fall victim to moonlight, champagne, and dancing—and that leads to an impulsive wedding. But now they’re back home, feeling like a couple of fools. Both agree a quick divorce is their best way out of this embarrassing predicament. Lorna’s two kids and Jack’s daughter are all for that, but their meddling prompts the stubborn newlyweds to rethink their plan.

A professional organizer, Lorna is a little too proud of her spotless home. She fell in love with Jack’s generous heart, but must he rescue every abandoned dog in town? The owner of a popular ‘60s nostalgia café, Jack feels right at home in Lorna’s bedroom, but he might as well be a stranger everywhere else in her perfect house. Suspicions that Lorna’s up-and-coming professor son-in-law is a womanizer soon pushes Jack into a different kind of rescue mission. Meanwhile, Lorna steps up and organizes her elderly father-in-law’s move and offers her support to Jack’s daughter in a crisis with baby Joanie. Too bad those classic “irreconcilable differences” appear to doom the pair, even as their kids are beginning to warm to the marriage.

Maybe sharing a couple of romantic dances on the night Jack launches his Blue Sky Nostalgia Music Festival can bring this “opposites attract duo” together again. Will Jack and Lorna decide they can find a way to make peace with their dueling quirks and have some fun with their second-chance romance?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Excerpt One:

Lorna inched to the edge of her bed, but before sliding out, she glanced over her shoulder to watch the even rise and fall of Jack’s back under the sheet. If she rolled toward him she could reach out and rest her palm against his bare shoulder and soak up the warmth of his skin. No. The man’s warmth—on all levels—got her into this trouble in the first place. That and moonlight, and okay, since she’d started a list, she might as well add the long nights of delicious slow dancing.

Once out of bed, Lorna tiptoed to her reading chair in the corner, retrieving her bra and panties from the floor along the way. Then she pulled the throw off the back of the chair and wrapped it around herself like a towel. Only dim light seeped through the closed blinds, but she felt around the floor and came up with the silk shirt and slacks she’d worn on the flight home the night before. With her clothes draped over her arm, she stepped around the open suitcase blocking the way to her bedroom door. She reached for the doorknob, ready to escape, but took a last look at the scene she was about to leave behind.   

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

A lifelong writer, Virginia McCullough has coauthored or ghostwritten over 100 books for doctors, therapists, lawyers, professional speakers, and many others. Her other award-winning novels include Amber Light, Greta’s Grace, The Chapels on the Hill, and Island Healing. The Jacks of her Heart is Book 1 of her Capehart Bay series. Asked to sum up the themes of her fiction, she says her books are all about hope, healing, and plenty of second chances.

Interview:

Where are you from?

          For me, that’s a tricky question. I’ve lived in Green Bay, Wisconsin for several years, but I started out life in a busy city neighborhood in Chicago. I spent five years on the coast of Maine, followed by moves to Maryland, the U.S.V.I., and Asheville, North Carolina. I’ve enjoyed my vagabond life!  

Tell us your latest news?

          I’m thrilled about the book I just launched, The Jacks of Her Heart, a lighter side romance about Lorna and Jack, an unlikely pair who were wooed by moonlight and dancing and got married on a tropical cruise. But, now they’re back home and surely ending their impulsive marriage is the best solution. Lorna’s two kids and Jack’s daughter sure think so. But the kids’ meddling backfires, prompting Jack and Lorna to rethink their plan.

The Jacks of Her Heart is book one of my Capehart Bay series, set in a town on the shores of Hart Lake, a fictional lake in southern Wisconsin. The second, The Icing on Her Cake will be out later this year.

When and why did you begin writing?

I know many writers start scribbling stories as little kids, but I didn’t start until my mid-twenties, when I was still home raising my two kids. After my family moved to Spruce Head Island, Maine, I listened to an inner voice nudging me in the direction of writing and publishing magazine articles, and everything evolved from that. It’s a good thing writing worked out for me because I’m not trained to do anything else!

When did you first consider yourself a writer?

After completing my first 900 word article, I knew I’d found my calling. Now, that article had 12 rejections before it was bought on its 13^th trip out, so I learned a lot about rejection, too. I also realized how lucky I am to truly love writing. Then, in my late 30s, I eventually moved on to coauthoring nonfiction books and ghostwriting, and finally, in the last few years, I turned to my first love, fiction. And I still think I’ve been incredibly lucky.

What inspired you to write your first book?

My books are all about hope, healing, and second chances, and in Island Healing, my first novel, Luke Rawley and Geneva Saint, and their families all face wounds that only understanding and love will heal. I wanted to explore the kind of healing that must take place if characters are to get their second chance. Three teenagers are part of the mix and I’ve been inspired by the way young people can influence adults and expose the kinds of family wounds that we can’t afford to ignore. Those wounds ultimately inspired the journey the characters are on in Island Healing.

What would you like my readers to know?

I’m glad I have this opportunity to thank readers for continuing to read novels, even in this era of endless choices. I love movies and wonderful TV dramas, but is there anything quite like the solitary experience of losing ourselves in a book? I think most novelists enjoy picturing their readers. I imagine women curled up on their couches or sitting at their kitchen tables with a novel. This time of year, I “see” readers on the beach or traveling on a plane. Authors always like to think about readers absorbed in characters’ dilemmas and joys and wondering what will happen next. And I know in my heart that there’s nothing trivial about storytelling. We’re not so different from our ancient ancestors sitting around a fire listening to a good long tale—our brains are wired for stories.

Website:  http://www.virginiamccullough.com/

Newsletter:  http://virginiamccullough.us3.list-manage.com/subscribe?u=e79f425dc656ab237e3bb869e&id=51f9f1aead

Facebook:  https://www.facebook.com/virginia.mccullough.7?fref=ts

Twitter:  https://twitter.com/VEMcCullough

Goodreads:  https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/468913.Virginia_McCullough?from_search=true

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION 

Virginia will be awarding a $25 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway