I love the idea of setting goals, but I don’t always meet them, especially when they’re big ones. What can I say? I’m human. When I first signed with Harlequin, I set a goal for myself of publishing ten books with them. That first contract was for two books, so ten was a stretch. I knew I was going to have to work hard to get there, and honestly? I wasn’t sure I could do it. That was 2015, and I’m completely gobsmacked to say that my 30th book with Harlequin–SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES–is out now! (Cue the celebratory horns and confetti!)

I’m not entirely sure how this happened, other than the fact that I showed up every day and chipped away at it for nine years. That old adage about eating an elephant one bite at a time? Turns out it works! This book is incredibly close to my heart. I absolutely love the deliciousness of a slow burn romance, and I worked very hard to build a story that would leave readers turning pages. It’s what I live for as a reader–just one more page. One more chapter.

There are other tropes to love in this book–small town, grumpy/sunshine, opposites attract, and sandwiches as a love language (not officially a trope, but I’m working on it). For the Swifties, the female main character is a singer/songwriter who was inspired by TS. The hero is a former chef–both characters are burned out. He by success and she by failure. It made for a very fun juxtaposition as they both look for a way to slow down and find joy in life. Add in a farmers market, a bakery, a garden, two cottages on the same property, some warm summer nights, and some extra hot romantic interludes, and you have SWAP AND SMELL THE ROSES. I hope you decide to check it out! It’s available for your favorite retailer, including:

Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Apple Books | Google Play | Kobo | The Ripped Bodice | Target | Walmart

Signed paperbacks from indie bookstore Flyleaf Books