Romantic Reads: Love and Other Mistakes (book) by Jessica Kate

Join me in welcoming Jessica Kate to the blog! She hails from Australia! 

I met her at a Christian writers conference five years ago. Since then, she's become a published author! We're featuring an excerpt from her debut book, Love and Other Mistakes on my blog today. 

Happy Reading!

~*~

Excerpt from Love and Other Mistakes by Jessica Kate:

The squeak of rubber soles on the court echoed around Natalie as she froze in the doorway of the recreational center’s basketball court, two weeks after leaving Jem on the hospital sidewalk.

Three guys raced toward the far end of the court, chasing their opponent, whose long legs propelled him down the court at a lightning pace.

Jem.

After another depressing day of job hunting, the last thing she’d wanted to do on her Friday afternoon was play in the weekly social basketball league. But Mom had convinced her to get off the computer—she’d been researching weird M&M flavors to buy—and instead run off the stress, all with a twinkle in her eye Natalie hadn’t quite deciphered.

Now she recognized it—the cunning of a woman determined to get grandchildren. Mom had been single minded toward that endeavor ever since Natalie made the mistake of telling her why she missed the head-office rep meeting.

But if the dream involved Jem, it had to die.

Cheers swelled from the handful of bystanders as Jem leapt through the air and dunked the ball. Even the opposing team members clapped.

“Way to go, Jem!”

The corners of her mouth lifted. She’d practiced with him for countless afternoons till he mastered that move. From that day on, every time he nailed a dunk his eyes would search her out, whether she was beside him on the court or cheering in the stands. His lips would pull into a grin that seemed to combine Did you see that? with Couldn’t have done it without you, babe.

Her mind landed back in the present at the same moment Jem’s gaze locked with hers.

She froze.

He grinned. Did you see that?

The corner of her mouth twitched upward.

Another thought slammed into her mind. He has a baby with someone else.

She whirled and headed out the door. How could he grin at her, like the last seven years hadn’t happened?

Her ire built with each step, threatening to spill over into frustrated tears. He had a baby. She’d felt sick each morning when she woke and remembered that the man she’d thought would raise her children now had one with someone else. And the fact it bit so deep dragged her self-esteem down another three notches. He’d obviously not missed her at all, and here she was still affected by him. After seven years.

Pathetic.

Natalie rounded a corner and pulled her keys from her pocket. She needed time with Jeremy Walters about as much as she needed a cockroach under her pillow.

“Nat! Wait up!” Jem’s voice echoed down the hall.

The open door to the sports equipment storage room presented the perfect hiding place. She flew in and dove behind a pile of dusty gym mats.

“Natalie?”

She fought a sneeze as his footsteps approached, then paused.

“Your foot is sticking out.” Laughter rumbled in his voice.

She wriggled her way upright, brushing a monstrous dust bunny from her blue-and-gold uniform.

“I was just, uh, looking for something.” Like peace and quiet.

He nodded. “There’s a dead moth in your hair.”

“Blagh-eek!”

“Just kidding.” He smirked.

Trying to claw back some dignity, she crossed her arms and surveyed him. How was it fair that, even after so long, those mischievous blue eyes and boyish freckles hadn’t lost one ounce of their charm? Time to go on the offensive. “What are you doing on my team? Don’t you have an article to write or a baby to take care of?”

“Didn’t realize you owned the team. Or still played.” He quirked an eyebrow. “Is it a problem?”

Rats. No good way out of that one. “Of course not. You’d better be able to pull your weight, is all. You’ve got a bit of a dad bod going on.” An utter lie. Curse his physique.

He slapped a hand on his stomach. “Didn’t know you’d been checking my bod out.” The words were laced with laughter, but Natalie just stared. Not going there.

The mirth drained from Jem’s expression under the weight of the silence. “Okay, I can’t do fake nicety-nice with you.” He ran a hand down his face, pulling his cheeks. “I talked to your mom.”

The air left her lungs.

“She told me about Phil. I’m sorry, I knew he was sick, but I didn’t know how bad.”

She flinched at the mention of Dad. He’s in remission. She fought the urge to shout the words. Yes, technically he was in remission. But the writing was on the wall, and barring a miracle, they all knew what the future held. The question was when.

“And she said you can’t find a job and will have to move back in with them.”

Natalie sucked in a deep breath, pressure building in her brain. “Why would—”

“I need someone to take care of Olly.”

She gaped at him. “Have you lost your mind?” The man had told her he loved her. Asked her to marry him. Dumped her and disappeared for seven years.

And now he wanted to be her boss?

~*~

Blurb for Love and Other Mistakes:
Jessica Kate’s heartfelt and romantic debut proves that love always comes in God’s own time.  

           Natalie Groves once had big dreams. But soon after her fiancé, Jeremy Walters, inexplicably broke off their engagement and left town, her father was diagnosed with cancer. Now tasked with keeping her family afloat, Natalie’s grand plans have evaporated . . . and God feels very far away. Fast-forward seven years, and Jeremy is back in Charlottesville with an infant son and years of regrets. When his niece, Lili, lands on his doorstep in need of a place to stay, Jeremy needs help—and fast. 

         An internship opening finally presents Natalie a chance at her dream job, but she needs a second income to work around it—and the only offer available is Jeremy’s. They could be the solutions to one another’s problems, provided they don’t kill each other in the process. When they join forces, sparks fly. But they both know there’s a thin line between love and hate...and that love will turn out to be the best decision—or the biggest mistake—of all.

~*~

Review of Love and Other Mistakes by Erin S. on Amazon.com:

5.0 out of 5 stars Tackling some Hard Topics

Reviewed in the United States on August 6, 2019

My Thoughts on Love and Other Mistakes:
Love and Other Mistakes is a fast reading cute novel. While it’s a romance it adds other aspects as well that allow for deep thinking.

When I first picked up this book I thought it was just going to be a romance. A cute story about how this couple finds each other after years apart and a broken engagement. Then they realize they’re still in love, a few bumps in the road, and they get married. Cute and sweet mostly.

But instead, I got this book.

It’s. . . wow.

This book is so much more than that.

Here you have this book and yes it’s a romance, but it’s also so much more. Within the pages of Love and Other Mistakes you’re going to see a single dad, an affair, an out of wedlock pregnancy or two, hidden sins, hard lessons learned, lies, and so much more. It’s so much more than a romance book and I think you should read it.

I read the book in an afternoon/evening. It was so good I didn’t want to put it down. So many twists and turns that I was not expecting and so much good food within the pages.

Have you ever struggled to forgive? I know I have. And then I know that forgiving isn’t forgetting as well as forgetting isn’t forgiving are some key things that I’ve thought on before so it’s nice to see a character in a book struggle with this too.

Definitely a new to me author that I’m now wanting to read more from. This is one to watch!

~*~

Author Bio:

Australian author Jessica Kate is obsessed with sassy romances.

She packs her novels with love, hate, and everything in between—and then nerds out over her favorite books, movies and TV in the StoryNerds podcast (official podcast of Reading Is My Superpower!) 

When she’s not writing or discussing fiction, she’s hunting the world for the greatest pasta in existence.

Her debut novel Love and Other Mistakes released July 2019, while A Girl’s Guide to the Outback hit shelves in January 2020.

Receive her sassy shorts "The Kiss Dare" and "The Kiss Thief" for FREE when you sign up for her newsletter at jessicakatewriting.com.

~*~
Buy Jessica Kate's book, Love and Other Mistakes on 

Amazon, Barnes and Noble, or Christianbook 

~*~
Connect with Jessica Kate:
Facebook and Instagram: Jessica Kate Writing

StoryNerds podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at www.storynerds.podbean.com.

The McLeod’s Daughters Podcast: Available on Spotify and Apple Podcasts and at https://player.whooshkaa.com/shows/the-mcleods-daughters-podcast.

Summer Love: Regina's story about heartbreak, hope and dreams

Interview with Regina Rudd Merrick, author of Carolina Dream:

Alexis: How did you dream up the title for your book, Carolina Dream?

Regina: Funny you should word it like that! I literally had a dream—you know, one of those that would NOT go away—and it became the impetus for the story and plays a large part in the heroine’s decision-making!

Alexis: Sarah Crawford is the heroine in your story. What qualities make her a heroine that readers can root for?

Regina: Sarah is a real person (as far as fictional characters go). She’s been hurt, but she’s doing her best to move on, do what is expected of her, and seek God’s will for the next step in her life. It’s that whole “listening” part of prayer that is giving her a hard time!

Alexis: Why did Sarah and her fiancé end their engagement? Who is he marrying now? How does his upcoming wedding affect Sarah’s heart and propel her to go to South Carolina?

Regina: I hope to go into more detail about Sarah and her broken engagement in book two (spoiler alert! Lol!), so let’s just suffice it to say that he’s not marrying Sarah. She thinks she has recovered from the heartache, but when she realizes that she has not, the South Carolina trip is her way of running away from it.

Alexis: Jared Benton is the hero of this story. What kind of business is he in? Describe his looks, personality, and heart.

Regina: Ah, Jared . . . He’s a real estate developer. He has very dark brown hair and eyes like dark chocolate; athletic, but slender build; around 6 feet tall. He has some baggage of his own that he’s carrying around, but, like Sarah, he’s trying to continue doing “the next right thing,” and has definitely tired of the dating scene. He’s not really looking, but when Sarah comes along, he’s conflicted. Is she an ally or an opponent?

Alexis: Describe Sarah and Jared’s meet-cute. Were there sparks? Intense dislike? What brings them together and what role do they play in each other’s lives?

Regina: Sarah and Jared meet on the boardwalk between her rental condo building and the beach. Her dog, Oliver nearly mows him down, and while he knows what she looks like, Sarah doesn’t have a clue that Jared Benton exists. Oddly enough, Oliver takes a liking to him immediately!

Alexis: What were Sarah’s first thoughts when she discovered that a house is part of her inheritance? What does she plan to do with it? Why?

Regina: Sarah’s first thoughts, when approaching the house, was "Whoa!". It was the house in her dream. As for her plans? She’s not at all sure. It’s a bit overwhelming!

Alexis: What role does Sarah’s faith in God play in this story? Tell us about the dream.

Regina: Sarah grew up in church – in this respect, she’s basically me. She received Jesus as her Savior at a young age, active in church, and when troubles come, she seeks guidance from God, not the world – at least she tries. The dream is an extension of that. The dream is of a house with many rooms to be explored, and at the end . . . well, you’ll have to read about that!

Alexis: How does Jared “see” Sarah? What does he notice about her that most people don’t?

Regina: Jared sees in Sarah a girl who has been hurt, but hasn’t let it change her negatively. She comes from a strong family background, and while he was at first suspicious of her, it didn’t take long for him to give the inheritance situation over to God to do His will in his life, whatever that might be. And then there are her eyes. Open, honest, and beautiful.

Alexis: Paint a picture with words of the small town where Sarah hails from and explain why you made her a music teacher.

Regina: The small town where Sarah grew up is a combination of the community where I grew up and the small town where I live now, but has more characteristics of my childhood home. There is basically one intersection with a four-way stop. On the four corners are a bank branch, a gas station, a grocery store, and an empty lot. Down the road is the church she attends with her family, and the school where she teaches is the school I attended in high school – where my parents and grandmother attended. The building actually no longer exists, but if I dream of school, that's the building I dream of. Sarah became a music teacher for a couple of reasons. One, I am a pianist, so I made Sarah a pianist and vocalist. Second, my husband is a teacher, I was a school librarian, and one of my best friends is a retired music teacher so I know how an itinerant teacher works. In my experience as a music student in college, all the nice little piano/vocal majors wanted to be a school music teacher!

Alexis: How does Jared’s dad’s background in the Army affect the way Jared approaches life?

Regina: Jared learned early in his life to accept what life brought him. His family moved around a lot while he was a child, so while he loves the idea of “home,” and has made this area his home, he knows from past experience that you can survive almost anything, even if it changes you.

Alexis: Describe Jared’s relationship with God. How does it affect his storyline?

Regina: Jared came to a place where he had nowhere to go but to God. When that pivotal event took place, he learned to depend on God and his mentor, Alex Crawford. It was his mentor who taught him that a Christian life is not just a life devoted to Christ, but to the church, and to the community.

Alexis: What lesson within this book are you hoping to teach your readers?

Regina: We all have hurts, habits, and hang-ups that can pull us away from communication with God. He loves us so much that he gave his only son to save us, so how can we not trust Him?

Alexis: What—or who—led you to write Contemporary Inspirational Romance?

Regina: Inspirational Romance is what I love to read, whether it be Contemporary, Historical, or Suspense. It only made sense to write what I love. When I had that dream, my mind immediately went into “what if” mode, and the result is Carolina Dream. It’s interesting that when I first finished writing the book, I couldn’t really tell you what, specifically, I wanted to relay to my readers, but in the editing, I could see God’s hand all throughout, tying ideas together with scripture and making sense of a sweet love story. I could never do this on my own!

Alexis: As a writer, what top two authors do you look up to the most? Why?

Regina: Oh my. I have so many authors that I look up to. I have many friends in the Christian publishing industry, but I have to say that there are a couple of authors, dead now, that touched me as early as my teen years. Grace Livingston Hill was my first introduction to Christian Fiction, but it wasn’t called such. She wrote sweet love stories full of conflict and spiritual guidance, many with a mystery. I loved them all. Another author that probably very few people have even heard of is Essie Summers. A New Zealand pastor’s wife, she wrote for Harlequin from 1957-1997. Before Love Inspired, she inspired. There was always a spiritual theme. When I found some of her early books in a closet at my grandmother's as a teen, I devoured them and still enjoy them. My favorite was Sweet Are the Ways published in 1965, about a writer who gives up her career in the city to “live by her pen,” and a young minister caring for his orphaned niece and nephew. There is conflict, to be sure, but the romance – oh, it is sweet!

Alexis: Complete this sentence: At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is _____________________because_____________________.

Regina: At the end of the day, the most important thing to remember is worrying gets me nowhere because God is on the throne!

Alexis: Thanks for the interview, Regina! God bless you.

~*~

Author Bio: 

Regina Merrick began reading romance and thinking of book ideas as early as her teenage years when she attempted a happily-ever-after sequel to “Gone With the Wind.” That love of fiction parlayed into a career as a librarian, and she is currently the director of a small public library in Marion, KY. 

She began attending local writing workshops and continued to hone her craft by writing several short and novel-length fanfiction pieces published online, where she met other authors with a similar love for story, a Christian worldview, and happily-ever-after. 

Married for 30+ years and active in their church, Regina and her husband have two grown daughters who share her love of music, writing, and the arts. 

~*~
Book Blurb: Sarah Crawford wants more from life than to attend the wedding of her ex-fiancée. When she learns of an inheritance in South Carolina, she is willing to use any excuse to get out of town. 

When she meets potential business partner Jared Benton, and discovers that a house is part of the inheritance, she is sure that God has been preparing her for this time through a recurring dream. But will a dream about an antebellum mansion, many rooms to be explored, and a man with dark brown eyes give her the confidence to take a leap of faith, leaving friends, family, and her job behind? 

~*~
Buy Regina's book on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, BAM!

~*~
Connect with Regina:
Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Instagram ~ Pinterest ~ Website (personal) ~ Publisher's Website 

~*~
Enter this book giveaway contest for your chance to WIN a copy of this book by filling out the entry form on the Rafflecopter widget below: 

SaveSave
SaveSaveSaveSave
SaveSavea Rafflecopter giveaway