My name is
Suzie Tullett and I’m a born romantic. There, I said it. Although you’ve
probably already guessed that, why else would I write contemporary romance when
there are so many other genres to choose from?
According the
dictionary, romantic isn’t just
defined as anything evoking or given to thoughts and feelings of love, it gives
us words like impractical and idealistic.
Yep, that’s me
alright. At least according to my husband, it is.
We can often be
driving along and come across a little country cottage. I sigh at the beautiful
stonework, the roses around the door, and imagine many a cosy night, the two of
us warming our toes in front of the log burner within.
He, on the other hand, considers all the blood, sweat and tears he’d have to
shed chopping all the wood to get the fire going.
We might spot
an abandoned chateau in the distance and I think about its rich history, the
stories it can tell and the lovelorn ghosts wandering through its now crumbling
halls. He again thinks about his bodily fluids, as well as the amount of cash
it would take to make the building liveable, let alone meet modern day
standards.
Naturally, I
appreciate where the man is coming from.
Whether we’re
talking about living in a country cottage, a chateau, or even considering our
relationships, achieving any ideal doesn’t just happen. It takes a lot of hard
work and there are countless ups and downs along the way.
However, in
both reality and in the fiction I write, I like to believe we can all get there
in the end.
Oh yes, I’m
definitely a sucker for a happy ending. Why? Because I’m a born romantic, of
course.
Promises – easy to make, hard to
keep.
Having long made a promise to her husband, young widow Annabel has no intentions of breaking it. What she does plan to do, though, is have a baby. Not the easiest of tasks for a woman with a deceased other half, and having explored all her options, her only choice is to take the unconventional route. Setting out to find her own donor, Annabel meets Dan. Single, fun-loving and definitely not looking for commitment, this unruly blonde, blue-eyed man seems perfect for the job.
Having long made a promise to her husband, young widow Annabel has no intentions of breaking it. What she does plan to do, though, is have a baby. Not the easiest of tasks for a woman with a deceased other half, and having explored all her options, her only choice is to take the unconventional route. Setting out to find her own donor, Annabel meets Dan. Single, fun-loving and definitely not looking for commitment, this unruly blonde, blue-eyed man seems perfect for the job.
Dan wants nothing more than to find
his dream woman. But with a mother intent on sabotaging his every relationship,
he can't help but think he's destined to remain single. Of course, he knows his
mother doesn't really want him all for herself, why else would she keep
insisting he meet Maeve? Why else would she insist Dan promise to find himself
a wife before she meets her maker?
Forced to negotiate matters of love,
life and death, Annabel and Dan seem the answer to each other's prayers. But
will they really be able to keep the promises they made? And is having a baby
really the solution?
Author Bio:
Suzie Tullett is an author of contemporary
humorous fiction and romantic comedy. As well as The Trouble with Words, her
novels include Going Underground and Little White Lies and Butterflies, which
was short-listed for The Guardian's 2013 Not the Booker Prize. She has a
Masters Degree in Television & Radio Scriptwriting and worked as a
scriptwriter before becoming a full-time novelist. And when she's not tapping
away on the computer creating her own literary masterpiece, she usually has her
head in someone else's.
Excerpt:
Opening out the deckchair, she
plonked herself down in it. “So how’s your week been?” she asked. She paused,
not that she really expected a reply, but it was nice to know he was listening
if nothing else. “Mine’s not been too bad,” she continued. “The shop’s still
doing okay. Oh, and your mum called round the other day.” Remembering the visit
all too well, Annabel tried not to scowl. “She said to say hello.”
She reached down and dipped her hand
into her bag again, this time pulling out a flask of coffee. “Caffeine, just
what I need after the hassle of getting here,” she said. “As usual the traffic
was horrendous.”
Pouring herself a drink, she knew her
ramblings were an attempt at stalling the inevitable; that she was worried
about Tom’s reaction once she’d told him what she was up to. While her plans
for the future might be a positive move on her part, she certainly wasn’t daft
enough to think everyone would understand. If anything most people wouldn’t,
especially if his mother’s reaction had been anything to go by.
She thought it strange how everyone
and their dog insisted she move on, yet the second she did they created such a
song and dance over it. Although if Tom did choose to join in with the
dissenters, then just like them he’d only have to get used to the idea;
particularly when this was entirely his fault to begin with. Annabel didn’t
want to play the blame game, but just like she’d said to his mother, she
wouldn’t be in this position if he hadn’t upped and died in the first place. In
her mind’s eye, she could see Tom sitting opposite, his hands clasped as he
patiently waited for her to tell him what was really on her mind. The man
always could read her like a book.
“Okay, okay,” she said. “Just give me
a second.”
She took a couple of sips of coffee,
determined to reveal all. But, in spite of practicing her speech all week, now
that it came to it, those well-chosen words seemed to fail her. Resting her cup
on her knee and refusing to let her conviction wane, she realised she was just
going to have to come out and say it.
After three, she told herself. One,
two, three…
She squeezed her eyes shut, in
anticipation of the lightning bolt no doubt about to strike her down.
“I’m going to have a baby,” she said.
Contact:
Hanna Oliwa
Publicist
Safkhet Publishing
Lovely to be here today, Maureen. Thanks for having me x
ReplyDeleteThanks for hosting Suzie and her wonderful extract. I loved both her first novels and I am sure this will doing really well too. Suzie, wishing you loads of success and fun discoveries when out and about....more stories will result. :)
ReplyDeleteThat's really good of you to say, Jane, and I'm so pleased you like the extract. I'm always nervous when releasing a new book, wondering what readers will think x
DeleteHappy to have you here. THE TROUBLE WITH WORDS sounds wonderful.
ReplyDelete