@BuytheBookTours Guest Post: Saturday in Serendipity by Margo Hoornstra

Saturday in Serendipity

Margo Hoornstra

Genre: Contemporary Romance Anthology
Publisher: Margo Hoornstra
Date of Publication: August 11, 2014
Number of pages: 427
Cover Artist: Rebel Ink Designs

Available at the following retailers:
Amazon

A twenty year high school reunion changes the lives of former classmates and leads to unexpected futures.

Three Strikes Thursday
Barry Carlson, a pro baseball success, could have any woman he wanted. Except one. Twenty years before, Barry won Amanda Marsh’s love, only to crush her heart. He’s returned to Serendipity, determined to win her back. Recently divorced, Amanda is happy—until Barry slides back into her life. Can they put aside old wounds and new misunderstandings to find a forever love?

Two On Tuesday
Blane Weston’s construction company needs the venture capital Matt Durand has. With his reputation for hostile takeovers, she wants no part of him. Mixing business with pleasure, she’s off to Serendipity to hook up with a former flame. Not used to being denied, Matt follows. How can Blane enjoy a journey to her past when Matt is determined to dictate her future?

One Fateful Friday
His high school reunion in Serendipity over, hospital CEO Jake Holbrook regrets his single state. When a special woman from his past tumbles back into his life—and his bed—he’s determined to keep her there. Family practitioner Bethany Thomas avoids an entanglement with her new boss, but unknowingly betrays him. As the holidays approach, can they overcome a lack of trust to find their Christmas miracle?

Excerpt: 

The solution was simple. Get out of the car, walk up to the house and ring the bell. Apologize for the intrusion when her father came to the door, and ask to see Amanda.

Only for a couple of minutes. Please.

Then he could fall all over himself telling her how sorry he was.

“Yeah that’s gonna fly.” His whisper filled the emptiness around him, and he dropped his head. “Face it, asshole. You blew it.”

In an odd way, talking to himself, he didn’t feel quite so alone.

He turned his gaze back to stare at Amanda’s window. The shade was still down. Her light was out.

So that was it.

Moving like a rigid, soulless robot, Barry put the car in gear and drove slowly away. Picking up speed as he left Amanda’s subdivision, he floored it once he hit the highway. With the windows down, the warm night air cooled as it roared around him.

He flicked the headlights on high. Their beams lit up the trees, telephone poles and bushes as they whizzed by. Nothing could stop him as long as he kept his foot down hard on the gas pedal. Then something did.

Pulling to one side of the deserted road, he jammed the gear shift into park, jumped out, ran around to the back bumper, bent over.

And puked his guts out onto the warm asphalt.

Guest Post: 

Write What You Know. Of Course, 

But There’s More

Thank you for having me here today on my Saturday In Serendipity tour. Saturday In Serendipity contains three stories of love rediscovered at a twenty year, high school reunion.

In addition to showcasing my latest book, I’d like to share a little about my philosophy on writing.

Write what you know is a main tenant of the writing profession. Use your own experiences, your preferences and interests because, let’s face it, if you tried to write about something you knew nothing about, you really would have nothing to say. I did attend, and graduate from, high school. Even attended a reunion or two in my time.

Another writer’s rule is to know your audience. In this case, women (mostly), and we have the high school and possible reunion attendance in common. The high school years are, by and large, a universal experience. One we alternately consider the greatest time of our life and very worst. Being in high school, a shiny bright future stretches out in front of you. Some years later, those sterling promises may have become a little tarnished. The life we actually lived might not be the one we truly imagined.

In that spirit, Saturday In Serendipity is three stories of love and life rediscovered. Former classmates, who come together to revisit their pasts only to find their unexpected futures.

Three Strikes Thursday showcases professional baseball’s former golden boy, Barry Carlson who has some serious making up to do to Amanda Marsh, the one he foolishly pushed away. For Barry, winning Amanda back is remarkably easy. Too bad keeping her with him proves difficult. Two On Tuesday has venture capitalist Matt Durand with the money Blane Weston needs to keep her struggling construction company afloat. Both soon learn, though, money isn’t everything and some people aren’t always what they seem. One Fateful Friday brings hospital CEO Jake Holbrook and family practice physician Bethany Thomas, MD together following the untimely death of her husband. Forever friends who so desperately want to become more, Jake and Bethany have a lot of baggage regarding each other to get through first.

These three different couples each take very different passages to find their own happily ever after.

Giveaway: 
$15 Amazon Gift Card

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Author Bio:

Like many writers, it’s hard to determine exactly when my fiction writing career began. I remember composing a short story in grade school (I have no idea about what) which was chosen for publication in an all school anthology. A journalism class taken in junior high school led to a job on the school newspaper and a weekly column.

I always loved reading. I loved writing too. Someday, I thought, maybe when I grew up and received the right training, I could actually write a book. After all, I was often told, laughingly most times, I had an extremely vivid imagination.

Through the years, the desire to write was always there. I had so many ideas and characters roaming around in my head, so many stories. But the business of living—going to college, getting married then raising a family—took precedence over something as frivolous as writing a book.

Then one day out of the blue I was downsized—effective immediately—from a job I’d held for over thirty years. What seemed so unfair at the time, I now recognize the tremendous gift I was given that day. As I’m now able to spend more and more time doing what I love—writing romantic fiction—I find I really do have an abundance of stories to share.

To connect with the author online:

Website | Blog | Facebook | Twitter | Google+ | Goodreads