WOO HOO, I’ve got a very special guest today! Say hello to romance author Maria K. Alexander who has a teaser from her wonderful new contemporary romance and a special “giftaway” for you!
Many thanks to Caridad for hosting me today! I’m Maria K. Alexander, and I write contemporary romance. Today, I’ll share a teaser from my new release, YOU’RE STILL THE ONE. It’s the first in my new Pelican Bay series, in which a chance to restore a small Jersey beach town reunites a group of friends struggling to overcome events from a tragic event from their past. Together, they’ll renew friendships, rekindle old love, find new love, and learn that it’s time for forgiveness and new beginnings. Each book in the series will focus on a different friend’s journey to HEA! It’s available to buy on Amazon https://amzn.to/3u5Fqqc or read free if you’re part of Kindle Unlimited.
You can read more about me and my books at: https://www.mariakalexander.com/
And now it’s time for a “giftaway” over on Caridad’s Facebook Fan Page at https://www.facebook.com/Caridad.Author! Just visit the page and follow the rules for a chance to win an e-book copy of YOU’RE STILL THE ONE!
Teaser from YOU’RE STILL THE ONE
“We all lost a lot when [Hurricane] Samantha hit. You all left and moved on, but many who remained continue to struggle. People who haven’t rebuilt for fear of another storm or because they lost too much and moved elsewhere. Vacationers who will never return because the town doesn’t have anything to offer them,” Mrs. Erickson said.
“We want to give them a reason to come back,” Tyler added.
“To welcome in a new generation of people.” Emma rose from the desk and stood to her full height. “And not define ourselves—this town—by circumstances out of our control.”
Jason’s heart clenched at the memory of that night, including Emma’s dad. As a volunteer firefighter, Mr. Erickson had been out during the storm and was the first person Jason found when he ran for help after the coaster fell into the ocean. It had happened so fast…Mr. Erickson jumping into the water…him carrying Maddy onto the beach and going back into the water for Tyler. But as strong and fearless as he’d been, it hadn’t been enough to fight the force of the storm, the massive waves, and the riptides, which pulled him under.
“We’re not qualified to do this,” Maddy added. “Ev and I don’t even live on this coast.”
“You can always change where you live,” Tyler said. “You did it before. Why not now?”
“Each of us has special talents that can make this project successful,” Emma said. “As owner and head of Erickson Pier, Mom is overseeing the finances. Ty is leveraging his own business experience to head the marketing side. Plus, John is part of the foundation, and we’ve pulled in other staff from Erickson Pier. Maddy, with your celebrity connections, you can help build buzz on publicity and maybe even plan a few fundraisers.” She stepped in front of Evan. “From when we were in elementary school, you dreamt of designing roller coasters.”
Evan shifted in his seat. “That was a long time ago.”
She lowered to kneel in front of him. “I remember the pictures you drew in high school. It was more than a kid wishing on a star. You had a vision, Ev. You majored in mechanical engineering and were going to build the tallest and fastest coaster in the world.”
“Dreams change,” he said.
“Dreams evolve. They may not end up the way you once envisioned, but you adapt them to change with the tides. You have the imagination and now the degree to design us a fabulous roller coaster…Sun Jet 2.0 or whatever you want to call it,” Emma said. Her gaze panned to her brother. “Ty, get the drawings.”
Tyler rose and placed two large drawings on the easels that earlier had held photos.
“Wow, Em. Did you do these?” Maddy asked.
Mrs. Erickson moved to the first easel. “Emma drew these sketches to illustrate how we wanted to transform the pier.” She pointed to the first drawing. “This shows the view from the pier looking out onto the boardwalk. While many of the stores have been salvaged or restored, many need renovation. We also need new, enticing businesses to draw families to our town.”
Tyler gestured at the second easel. “This is a reconstructed pier with updated rides, and as you can see, a place for a new coaster.”
“Pelican’s Flight,” Maddy whispered. “It reminds me of your coaster, Ev. Didn’t you call it Pelican’s Flight?”
“Yeah,” Evan croaked.
“The design of the coaster isn’t set and can be whatever we want it to be, as long as it’s approved by the city council,” Emma said. “It’s there to illustrate location and spacing in relationship to the other rides. It’s a concept drawing, not technical specs. That’s why we need you, Ev.”
“Notice how we placed it toward the front of the pier but offset it to the side,” Tyler said.
“A small yet subtle change to make it different,” Maddy said, and moved closer. “It’s brilliant, Em.”
Emma was in her element. Her eyes blazed with a passion Jason remembered all too well. When she was determined to do something, nothing stood in her way. Hurricane Samantha had nothing on Emma Erickson in full take-charge mode.
Now her fierce eyes fixed on him.
“Jace, you own a home improvement business. Who better to build a sturdy pier and buildings to set this tiny beach town apart from others? Something to withstand wind, rain, and any goddamned hurricane Mother Nature drops on us.”
“You’re grasping at straws,” he sneered. “Trying to make it the way it used to be is a pipe dream.”
She’d moved next to him, a force to be reckoned with in her tight business suit and strappy heels that brought her up to the bottom of his chin. Hell if he didn’t feel the energy from her passion, could see how she imagined it.
“I like to think of it as vision. We all have an obligation to this town…ourselves…my father…to do everything in our power and ability to make this happen.”
“What’s your role?” Jason asked, although he was pretty sure he knew the answer.
“With Gram gone, I’m head of the foundation. I want all of you to join me on the board and work with me to come up with a plan. I’ll lead us in managing and executing that plan.”
He snorted. “So, we work for you?”
She lifted her chin and leaned forward. “We work for the town.” She stepped back and faced everyone. “One year. I’m asking for your help for one year. Let’s bring back the joy to Pelican Bay. The joy we knew as kids…the joy we can have again.”
Her belief and absolute confidence in this project pulled at him, but he had his own responsibilities.
“I have a business…a life in Florida. I can’t up and leave on the whim of a girl who wants to dredge up the past.”
Anger filled her eyes, and she furrowed her brow. “It’s a smart business plan, and you know it.” She shifted her gaze to Maddy and Evan. “What do you think?”
Jason felt all eyes focus on him, and while a part of him was tempted by the proposal, what she asked was too much. Too difficult…too many ghosts to face. It was exactly what he told her grandmother when she called him weeks ago with a similar proposal.
“I think you all should do it, but I can’t be a part of it,” he said.
“The Jason Maguire I remember wouldn’t say no, wouldn’t turn his back on his town,” Emma said.
The guilt she cast his way tried to take root, but the sharp edges of his heart cut it away.
“The boy you remember died in the storm along with your father.” With a last glance at the drawings and Emma’s fallen face, he turned to the doorway. “Good luck. I have a flight to catch.”
