Spotlight & Giveaway: About That Night by Laura Brown

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Laura Brown to HJ!

Hi Laura and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, About That Night!

 
Hello! Thank you for having me!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Izzy’s new supervisor is the one man she hasn’t been able to find: her former one-night stand and her baby’s father.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Izzy Fineberg stood frozen in front of the agency building as if her new job description was “garden gnome impersonator” and not “office assistant.” Breathe, Izzy, remember your childbirth classes. Those were nine plus months ago, though, the reason why she had only now found her first postgraduate job. If only her damn feet would move.

She hadn’t used to be this way.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• Archie! Archie is Izzy and Nolan’s nine-month-old son and I pulled some pictures of my own kiddo at nine months to inspire me.
• Izzy first met Nolan at a Deaf event, when she could barely sign. She’s kept up and can now communicate, even if awkwardly at times!
• Nolan has had a string of things not going his way, including setting off a rocket in his high school gym!

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

Total lust at first sight for both of them! Nolan is drawn to Izzy’s strength. Her decision to bring their son into this world on her own astounds him, and she handles it all with ease. Izzy finds Nolan just as attractive as the first time they met, and when he steps up to care for their son, her heart never has a chance.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

One night changed everything.
 

The First Kiss…

Izzy and Nolan need to stay apart due to their agency’s no-dating policy, something that becomes harder and harder the more time they spend together. Due to childcare issues, the baby is with them for a week. When a staff member takes the baby so they can film a work related video, they end up truly alone, and the temptation turns palpable.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

I have so many favorite scenes in this novel! The first that comes to mind is Nolan on nighttime baby duty for the first time. The poor guy doesn’t have a clue what he’s doing, but dives in to help his son, and let Izzy sleep. Here’s a snippet:

He flicked on the light and moved to the table, aware of the open ledge. He settled Archie onto his back and stared at the sack covering most of the kid. No sleeves, some sort of bean sack thing for kids.

What happened to blankets?

Nolan unzipped and started to take Archie’s arms out, then thought better of it and put the arm back in. The frequent pacifier sucking stopped, and Archie gave him a look. “Yes, I know. Your father is a screw-up. I don’t know what I’m doing.” That seemed to placate the baby and he resumed sucking.

Nolan got the feet out from the sack, grateful to find only a onesie underneath. He undid the snaps and raised the fabric before eyeing the full diaper.

Archie had spat out the pacifier and now had his toes in his mouth. No sign of distress. “You trust me with this?”

Archie fit another toe in.

“We really need your jaw examined.”

He undid the diaper straps, pulled it back, and promptly turned and gagged. And he thought the smell was bad earlier. Knowing he had to deal, he sucked in a breath and went back to work, claiming the foot back from Archie to raise his bum and remove the diaper.

Step one accomplished.

Only now he fumbled around, having not gathered all the supplies ahead of time. The wipes were to his left, diapers just beyond, and if he stretched he could keep one hand on the baby and gather his supplies.

Nolan shifted his stance and, reaching for the wipes, he stretched a little farther and collected them, then grabbed the fresh diaper with the tip of his fingers.

Point Holtzman.

He fixed himself back at Archie and pulled out a wipe, pausing as he assessed the poo-covered rear. The same rear he hadn’t kept in the air while getting the supplies, that now left streaks on the sleeping sack.

Point lost.

“You don’t need that to sleep, right?”

Archie had both hands wedged at the corners of his mouth.

Nolan used the wipe to clean him up. Then a second, and a third, trying to get all the dirty parts. Then a fourth, just because.

Baby clean, he shifted the dirty sack aside, settled Archie down, and reached for the diapers. Something wet hit his cheek, and kept hitting, sliding down his neck.

Nolan swallowed, not moving as the wetness continued, and continued, and he questioned every life decision he ever made. The onslaught finally stopped, but he didn’t for a moment believe it wouldn’t start up again. He used a wipe to clean himself and Archie, then quickly put a new diaper on before the kid got any more ideas. With luck, he managed to get it on securely. He removed Archie’s arms from the sack and picked the baby up.

Archie clapped.

“You’re just proud you marked me.”

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

The movie would have to include Izzy meeting up with Nolan at a coffee shop away from work, to finally tell him about their son. A snippet of that scene follows:

Inside, the aroma of coffee tickled her nose, reminding her that a hit of caffeine would be a good thing. Her hands shook, though, too nervous to deal with coffee or anything other than what she’d come here for. She wove through the occupied tables until she settled in across from Nolan.

“How was your first day?” he asked, a smile on his face. He held himself in a lighthearted manner she feared she’d destroy in minutes. She also knew she had to.

“Fine.” Oy, look at her, all short and curt. “I appreciate you helping me get set up today.” As far as being a supervisor went, Nolan was great. He’d reviewed the tasks he needed her help with and got her set up on her computer in the assistant/intern area. She kept glancing at him now, disbelieving she’d really found him, and feeling a little starstruck by his handsomeness.

The man was eye candy. Izzy already caught the college students in the corner glancing his way, even before the novelty of two adults signing had been introduced.

“Happy to help.” He looked so carefree, a sensation Izzy hadn’t felt since before her pregnancy test sported two little lines. A part of her wanted to wipe that carefree aura off him, his turn to deal with the reality of their one night. Another part of her wanted to let him keep it. After all, it had been her decision to raise their child whether or not she ever found him.

Their child. Words she hadn’t thought until now.

Among the usual coffeehouse chatter, giggling hit Izzy’s ears. She turned, checking out the sound, finding the college-aged group not only the culprit, but also staring her way. Or rather, Nolan’s way. Izzy wanted to grumble. She was maybe two or three years older than them and it felt like ten.

A tap on the table had her facing Nolan again. “What’s wrong?” he asked.

She thumbed behind her. “You have a fan club.”

His eyebrows lowered as he glanced over her shoulder. “I’m sure they’re interested in the ASL, that’s all.”

Izzy shook her head, amused despite herself. “Nope. I caught them staring before I arrived.”
She expected Nolan to look at the group again. Instead those brown eyes studied her. “You were watching me?”

She raised her hands but didn’t sign. Crap. She had been, and she’d admitted it. Her cheeks heated and she willed them not to. This wasn’t a date, not in any sense of either of their imaginations.

It felt like one.

Readers should read this book …

Readers should read this book because it’s a funny and heartwarming story about two people coming together for more than just their son. If you like unplanned pregnancy stories, this book is for you! It also has Deaf and Jewish characters, and we need more diverse stories of people finding love and their HEA.

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?

2021 is a busy year for me! In less than a month I will be publishing the second book in my Mistaken Hearts series, The Frenemy Mistake. This summer I have a texting mishap novel, Wrong Number publishing, followed by an enemies to lovers romance, The Un-Arranged Marriage!

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook copy of About That Night, and a $10 Amazon gift card!

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: How would you react if your one-night stand, a person you haven’t been able to forget, turned out to be your new supervisor?

 
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Excerpt from About That Night:

Those thoughts still swirled after she put Archie into his crib and climbed back into bed with Nolan. She cuddled into his backside, spooning him, and he snuggled back into her. If it wasn’t for Archie they might have had a date, perhaps two, easing into things. But having a baby together changed everything. Izzy didn’t want to hope, didn’t want to dream, but the future formed in her mind as she wrapped her arms around a man she suspected she was falling for.

Sleep wouldn’t come, not with the feel of his naked chest beneath her hands, and the gentle rise and fall of his body. She trailed her fingers over his lean muscles, up and down ridges, unaware how low she’d gotten until her fingers nestled into a patch of coarse hair, and Nolan’s breathing no longer came in gentle puffs.

He rolled over before her fingers could dip any lower. She followed his outline as he sat up, unable to see any distinction until he flipped on the light. They both blinked to adjust to the brightness. “What’s wrong? Archie crying?”

Huh. Maybe she could have woken him after all. “Already taken care of. He’s asleep.”

Nolan nodded and ran a hand through his hair. The bed-head look, coupled with bare chest and sheets pooled in his lap, made her lick her lips.

“So what’s wrong?” he asked.

“Nothing.” She fumbled with her words, unsure how to describe that she woke him by enjoying his body, when she realized his eyes weren’t on hers, but on her lips.

She licked them again. Nolan grumbled and leaned forward, fitting his mouth to hers. They fell backward in the bed, lips locked, and Izzy’s traitorous heart nearly jumped ship. Her wanderlust soul found its home and wanted to make one final leap and then follow this man wherever he went, with their little family.

His hands slid under her shirt, up to her breasts, easily slipping inside the loose nursing bra. Izzy arched in to him, slightly worried about spillage, since she’d been used to nighttime nursing, but unable to care with him plucking her nipples and setting off a rocket of need straight down to her core.

She ran her hands down his torso, getting a thrill out of him being naked while she wore clothes. Her fingers found him hard, and she held that smooth warmth in her palm, stroking as their lips remained locked and his hands continued their magic on her chest. The need between them tinged with desperation, but also the growing awareness and care.

Heart overboard and drowning.

Izzy let herself go, let herself revel in the moment, in the closeness and the passion. Nolan’s hand trailed down her body and into her pants. She spread her legs, tiny waves setting off the moment he pushed a single finger into her needy core.

Had she really been worried about her body post-baby? Because he made her forget any and all concerns, made her only feel. If this was sex after having a kid, she should have been doing this a lot earlier.

With him.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Izzy Fineberg can take on any challenge—and she’s had some big ones lately. After one fateful night with the hottest Deaf man she’d ever met, Izzy found she was pregnant with his child. And she never caught his name. She’s been doing the single mom thing for nine months now, and surely, nothing could be more challenging than that. But her first day at her new job, she meets her supervisor…and recognizes him immediately.

Nolan Holtzman never expected to see Izzy again, and now, she’s the new hire at the agency he works in. He’d think things were finally going his way for once, if not for the iron-clad ban on interoffice dating. He’ll have to keep his distance from her if he wants to keep his dream job helping the Deaf community. Much easier said than done when Izzy drops the bomb that she’s a single parent…of his son.

It’s the shock of his life, but that won’t stop him from stepping up to be a dad. So when Izzy is suddenly in need of a place to stay for a week, Nolan invites her and the baby to his home. But even as difficult as it is, keeping their little family a secret from their employer isn’t their biggest challenge ahead…
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