Lies have a way of coming back to haunt you...
AWAKEN MY HEART
Tangled Hearts #3
Maria K. Alexander
Released May 10th, 2017
The Wild Rose Press
Lies have a
way of coming back to haunt you—a lesson Ashley O’Neil learns the hard way when
she runs into the man she shared a steamy night with over fourteen years ago.
Now tangled in a web of deception, she’ll need to right a wrong and chance
losing her heart to the very man she deceived.
An
unexpected encounter with the woman he had a one-night stand with has thrown
Detective Nick DiFrancesco for a loop. Recently divorced, he’s cautious around
women, but one look at Ashley has him considering taking a chance. Until he
learns her secret…one that impacts him where it counts most—family.
When Nick’s drug trafficking case goes south, a lead puts him in Ashley’s path.
With his family in danger and his heart on the line, he’ll need to fight for
justice and risk it all to the woman he’s never forgotten.
She licked
her lips. “Is that an order, detective?”
The corner of
his mouth lifted. “A request.”
When his gaze
slid to her lips, Ashley felt the tingling in the pit of her stomach move
lower.
He stepped
closer until his shoes brushed the tips of hers. “Twice in two days.”
She could
smell the musky male scent of him, sexy and pungent. “What?”
“It’s the
second time in two days we’ve run into each other,” Nick said.
“Coincidences,”
Ashley said.
“Or a sign
you should go out with me.”
Oh, how she
wanted to. It would be easy to give in to him, to slide her hands up his firm
chest, and lose herself in his embrace. In heels, she was only a few inches
shorter, and her mouth was dangerously close to his.
She sucked in
a breath. “I told you, I can’t.”
“Can’t or
won’t?”
“It’s the
same thing.”
“It’s not,
and you know it.” He leaned closer, and his warm breath brushed her face. “You
can’t tell me you don’t feel what’s
happening.”
She lifted
her chin and stared at warm brown eyes. “I don’t.”
“Liar.”
Q&A with Maria K.
Alexander
How did you come up with the concept
and the characters for the story?
This
is the third book in my award-winning Tangled Hearts series. Each book is a
stand-alone story focusing on different members of the DiFrancesco family. I
created the family when I wrote my very first book (the one under my bed J). The heroine from that
unpublished book is best friends with Kate DiFrancesco, who is the spirited
heroine from Untangle My Heart, the first book in the series. I like to
think of the series as a nod to my Italian background. The stories are rich in
tradition, many of which are part of my own Italian upbringing. Nick
DiFrancesco, the hero from Awaken My Heart, is the oldest
DiFrancesco and his story is my favorite to date. I’ve loved his character from
the start and thoroughly enjoyed writing his happily-ever-after! Nick is
recently divorced from a popular girl he dated on and off in high school. She
was popular, shallow, obnoxious…basically everything Ashely (the heroine from
Awaken) isn’t…which is why she’s perfect for Nick!
Name three things on your desk right
now.
Coffee
cup, to do list, The Pocket Book of Positives (we can all use a lift each day!)
What do you like to do when you aren't
writing?
Reading,
baking, Jazzercise, relaxing at the shore (beach), watching a movie with my
family
A la
Twitter style, please describe your book in 140 characters or less.
Can she right a wrong & chance losing her heart to
the man she deceived? AWAKEN MY HEART #TBR #mustread http://bit.ly/2p55aLA
What are
you favorite types of stories to read?
Reunion/second chance at love, friends to lovers
What 5 things should readers know
about you?
I’m
goal-oriented, driven, a perfectionist, think cake is an acceptable breakfast
food, played the piano from 3rd to 12th grade.
Can you tell us about your upcoming
book?
It’s
a second-chance at love romance set in Philadelphia. Detective Nick DiFrancesco
is down on his luck. His drug-trafficking case went cold, his kids blame him
for his divorce, and he’s one step-away from moving in with his parents to save
money. When he runs into Ashley O’Neil, a girl he had an affair with over
fourteen years ago, he’s reminded of their steamy night together and wants to
see her again. Little does he know she’s kept a secret from him—one that
impacts him where it counts most…family. But when a lead in his case puts him
in Ashley’s path, they’ll need to set aside their painful past in order to
fight for justice and risk it all for love.
A romantic at heart, Maria K. Alexander spent hours as a young girl getting lost in and wishing to be one of the heroines in the stories she read. Books gave her the ability to go to another world where she loved meeting new characters, learning about their problems, and watching them fall in love.
Maria is an award-winning author of contemporary romance. When not writing, Maria loves to read, bake, downhill ski, visit the beach, and watch romantic comedies. Maria lives in New Jersey with her husband and children, and writes in her “spare” time between juggling a full-time job and her kids’ busy schedules.
Thank you so much for hosting today!
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