Hello, my lovelies! It’s FoX Friday, and this week’s guest is a first-timer. Help me give a hearty welcome to the delightfully talented Lena Hart! Lena is here with her upcoming release, Something New. It’s book two of her Brides of Cedar Bend series, and you’re going to want to grab it!

Before we get to know Damian and Savvy, let’s learn a little more about Lena.

How long have you been writing?

I started writing on and off since 2009, with a lot of bad/unfinished projects in my arsenal, lol. But I had my first book published in 2012. So I’ve been writing for 8 years and published for 5.

What writing rituals help to get your mojo flowing so you can write?

It depends on where in the writing process I’m in, lol. But I have this thing where I need to have cartoons or Seinfeld playing in the background when I’m editing. Weird, I know.

Really? That’s so cool! How do you balance writing and your personal life?

Ha! Balance, what’s that?

I know, right? LOL

Honestly, that’s still a work in progress for me, but I do my best writing at night so I schedule my writing time around then.

Do you have a one-click or must-buy author whose books you just have to have?

I have so many authors I love, I can’t name just one! But the last book I one-clicked was the Breaking Bad anthology since I adore many of those authors in that set.

Yeah! I really want to check that out. What was the nicest comment or most interesting question you’ve received from a reader?

This is a line from an email I received from a reader and I keep it to remind me why I do what I do: “Thank you for creating such diverse heroines, beautiful, strong, accomplished and confident!”

How wonderful! And they’re absolutely right. 🙂 Which TV show(s) can you absolutely not miss every week?

Oh, that’s a hard one since I stream a lot of my favorite shows! But my must binge/can’t miss shows are Orange is the New Black, How to Get Away with Murder, and The Walking Dead. Clearly I’m obsessed with chaos and destruction.

Haha! I love The Walking Dead, so you’re not alone there. What can readers expect from you next?

More books from the series! The next book I’m working on is called SOMETHING BORROWED and it’s about the town’s bad boy who reunites with his former sister-in-law who becomes his caregiver after an accident. This one’s going to be fun. 🙂

Nice! Can’t wait. Here’s more about Something New.

When small town mechanic Damian Carson comes to Savvy Williams’ rescue—again—he is determined to make their encounter a bit more memorable than the first. Yet when a rousing kiss leads to a bogus engagement, Damian is willing to play along with the charade—if it means having certain liberties over the southern belle.

Embarrassed by her recent broken engagement—and eager to dispel rumors of her attraction to rich men only—Savvy forges ahead with a pretend relationship to the handsomely rugged mechanic. But when their harmless charade results in a quickie wedding, new desires are aroused and they must decide how far they are willing to take their pretense…and if it will be strong enough to survive something real.

Lena was kind enough to share an excerpt with us. Enjoy!

“I hope you don’t mind.”

Damian’s eyes swung up at the southern feminine voice. Savvy gingerly made her way inside the repair garage and his breath hitched. The woman who walked toward him was the same one he remembered that stormy summer day.

With her smooth skin clear of makeup and peach colored day dress, she looked fresh and radiant inside the messy garage. Her natural hair was pulled back at her nape, but the curls were thicker and longer than he remembered. He imagined how the soft coils would look, wild around her head, and wished they were free from their restraints.

He was so surprised by her change, he didn’t immediately return her smile of greeting.

“Okay, you’re staring, which makes me think I either have something on my face or you don’t want me in here.”

“I’m staring because you have beautiful skin.”

She blinked at him then laughed. “Do you have a skin fetish?”

Heat crawled up his neck before it reached his face. He knew she was teasing him, and managed to smile pass his embarrassment.

“I might. You’re obviously one of the lucky ones who can get away without wearing make-up.”

“Well, thank you. I’ve never had anyone compliment me on my skin, so it’s nice of you to notice. I think.”

Damian nodded, though he couldn’t stop looking at her. He wondered if she realized how much her makeup hid the warm undertones of her sienna brown skin. If she had been pretty before, she was downright beautiful now.

He cleared his throat and forced himself to get a grip. “So what brings you by?”

“I got your message this morning and thought I’d stop by to check things out.”

“You didn’t have to come here,” Damian said. “I could have filled you in over the phone.”

She shrugged. “I don’t mind. I just spent the day at the flower shop, searching for the perfect gardenias. This is a nice break.”

He arched a brow. “You prefer motor oil over flowers?”

She laughed and came further into the garage until she was standing beside him. “I prefer to be away from Lori, really. I like her and all, but she can be a little…overbearing.”

As Savvy stood near, Damian barely hung on her words. Her light, sweet fragrance teased his nose and all he could think about was gathering her in his arms and breathing in her alluring scent.

A quick glance at his soiled hands put an end to that fantasy.

“So,” she said briskly, staring down at the car parts of her hybrid. “How bad is it?”

Damian returned his attention to the car. “I’m still trying to narrow it down. It can be as simple as replacing a few sensors or as complicated as replacing the entire system. I’m still looking into it.”

“How long will you know?”

“Give me a few more days. Once I know exactly, you’re looking at a week. Maybe two.”

She whipped her head up at him. “What? I can’t be without a car for that long.”

“I don’t know what to tell you. Once I figure out the problem, I’ll have to special order the part before I can even get started. It’s not going to be a quick fix, and it’s not going to be cheap.”

Her groan was loud and long. “So what you’re saying is that this job is going to both suck and blow?”

“Hey!” he barked with mock outrage. “I don’t give blow jobs.

♥

Grab Something New on Amazon, iBooks, Barnes and Noble, Kobo, and Google. And visit Lena’s site for some awesome giveaways!

Lena Hart is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, suspense, and historical romances. She is best known for her passionate, heartfelt stories—no matter the setting. When Lena’s not writing, she is either reading, researching, or conferring with her muse. To learn more about Lena and her books, visit www.LenaHartWrites.com

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