Thank you very much for inviting me to Cocktails and Books.
As a contemporary romance author, I truly believe that one should never give up on love. Yes, life throws us curveballs sometimes, but that does not mean that we should abandon following our hearts.
The other day I was having drinks with one of my friends whom I have not seen for a long time. I was sad to find out that she had just broken up with her boyfriend of five years – the boyfriend she thought was the one and expected to get engaged to. Needless to say, my friend was in broken spirits, carrying on about how impossible it is to meet ‘the right guy’ - meanwhile, she was completely oblivious to the cute guy on the other side of the bar who was casting glances in her direction. When I pointed out this fact, my friend dismissed me at first, but when I insisted, she did smile back at the guy. Long story short, he came over and asked if he could buy her a drink. Now, they did not go on to live happily ever after – she never even gave him her number, but after this encounter, my friend got her confidence back, and a few weeks later she did go on her first date, albeit with a different guy. My friend has not found her Mr. Right yet, but she is happily dating and loving every moment of it.
In On the Rim of Love Maggie has just gotten engaged to her incredibly good-looking and successful TV producer boyfriend. Life should be perfect, but something in her heart is telling her otherwise. When Maggie meets big mountain skier, Taylor, she is instantly drawn to him, but refuses to admit her attraction because of her engagement. And yet, she can’t get Taylor out of her mind, posed with a dilemma whether to follow her heart or play it safe. Ultimately, Maggie chooses to follow her heart.
Granted, real life is much more complicated than fiction, but I believe that part of the reason why romantic fiction is so popular is that readers want to see the seemingly impossible happen on the pages of a book and be inspired to make the impossible possible in their own lives. Whether needing courage to smile back at a cute guy in a bar or standing at the crossroads in one’s life – one must never give up on love.
About the Book
Twenty-two-year-old Maggie Robin has been dating the irresistibly good-looking Jeffrey Preston for a year. But when Jeffrey proposes marriage to her a week after her college graduation, Maggie finds herself wondering if she wants to spend the rest of her life married to a workaholic TV show producer.
Her doubts culminate when during a ski trip to British Columbia she meets Taylor Denton, a handsome, free-spirited big mountain skier.
Maggie’s attraction to Taylor is undeniable, but she is engaged to marry Jeffrey. Will Maggie have the courage to follow her heart?
Buy the book at: Amazon Barnes and Noble
Excerpt
“Maggie, we have been seeing each other for a while, and now that you’re done with school, I think it’s time that we took our relationship to the next level.” Jeffrey placed a robin-blue jewelry box on the table.
Maggie stared back at him, suddenly at a loss for words.
“Go on, open it.”
Slowly, Maggie pulled on the white ribbon. Inside, was a smaller box of black velvet. Feeling Jeffrey’s expectant gaze upon her, Maggie flipped open the lid. A giant diamond glinted against the black material.
“Timing is everything, and I think that right now is the perfect timing for us, don’t you?” Jeffrey pressed on without waiting for her answer, “There are a lot of opportunities for me at the network, Maggie, and our engagement will show my father that I am a ‘reliable fellow,’ to use his words exactly. You see, my father is rather old-fashioned, and he has made it pretty clear that he expects me to settle down before he is going to entrust me with a more serious role in the company. When it comes to climbing the corporate ladder a man’s character is often judged by his personal life, and I do plan to climb to the very top.”
Maggie blinked, wondering what getting engaged had to do with timing and reliability.
“Of course, that is not the main reason why I want to marry you.” Jeffrey reached for her hand. “I love you, Maggie. We are perfect for each other. But when it comes to climbing the corporate ladder a man’s character is often judged by his personal life, and I do plan to climb to the very top.” Jeffrey winked.
“Yes.” Maggie nodded.
“I’m so glad.” Jeffrey put the ring on her finger where it dangled loosely.
Maggie’s first impulse was to explain that her ‘yes’ was directed at Jeffrey’s statement regarding the corporate ladder, but instead, she remained silent, thunderstruck by the enormous diamond on her finger: it was blindingly ostentatious - a single emerald-cut solitaire - just what a future studio producer’s wife would wear.
~ Giveaway ~
Marie will be awarding a custom made jewelry set (necklace and earrings) to one randomly chosen commenter and to the host with the most comments (excluding the host's and Marie's) -- US / Canada only, please.
Follow the tour and comment; the more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here.
More about Marie
Marie can also be found on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection
and Twitter: https://twitter.com/#!/marieastor.
Books by Marie Astor:
On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.
http://www.amazon.com/Rim-Love-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322449445&sr=8-1
Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.
http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
A Chance Encounter and Other Stories – a short story collection about love and everyday life.
http://www.amazon.com/Chance-Encounter-Other-Stories-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kinc_2?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2
Thank you for hosting Marie today.
ReplyDeleteI love the excerpt. You can just tell that there's something missing there. His proposal sounds more like a business merger/stepping stone...not very passionate (except about getting to the top of the "career ladder). No wonder she is open to the possibility of another relationship--even if it is not the safe choice!
ReplyDeleteThanks for the post today.
catherinelee100[at]gmail[dot]com
Hi Catherine,
ReplyDeleteThank you for your comment - this is exactly the effect was I was aiming for!
Marie
Thank you for hosting me today - it's so much fun being your guest. And as always big shout-out to Goddess Fish for organizing this awesome tour!
ReplyDeleteGreat excerpt! Thanks for hosting Marie Astor. She is a new author to me.
ReplyDeletesandy(dot)wolters(at)q(dot)com
I really like the cover of your book. It's simple but really upbeat.
ReplyDelete