Spotlight & Giveaway: Date of a Lifetime by Lynne Marshall

Posted April 1st, 2020 by in Blog, Spotlight / 56 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Lynne Marshall to HJ!

Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Lynne and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Date of a Lifetime!

 
Thank you for inviting me!
 

Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:

You’re right, this is a challenge, but here goes:

D is for Date (duh! Super date)
A is for Atomic attraction
T is for Trouble
E is for Electricity (mutual electric sparks)

O is for Officially linked
F is for Falling for (each other)

A is for Adorable baby

L is for Lineage (surprise)
I is for Infatuation (but much more than)
F is for Fragile hearts (both H/h)
E is for Election (hero is incumbent mayor)
T is for Trust (both need to learn how to)
I is for Innuendos (on the Internet)
M is for Mischief and Misdeeds! (from political opponent)
E is for Ever After ( as in Happily!)

 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

Eva DeLongpre opened her computer for some precious time to work while her eleven-month-old son, Noah, took his morning nap. The small wood-floored office in her Santa Barbara home overlooked the grassy backyard, surrounded by trees that had survived last year’s fires. The woodsy scent of the California bay laurel permeated the air thanks to the open window.

 

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book.

Well, I just mentioned that Joe Aguirre is the Mayor of Little River Valley, and is running for re-election. He is a lawyer by trade, and the son of hard working Mexican immigrants. He has a pure heart and an honest work ethic. He has also been made to never feel good enough in life and in personal relationships. That is the part that holds him back from Eva.

Eva DeLongpre is a Trust fund child, adopted at birth by an older single mother who wanted a kid because she wanted one. Then she wasn’t prepared to deal with all the realities of motherhood. So Eva was essentially raised by her grandmother. Eva was cruelly treated by a man she thought she could trust in college, so Joe has a lot of hurdles to overcome to gain her trust.

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • Due to the secret sisters, separated at birth thread, I’ve had to do a lot of research on surrogate pregnancy thirty years ago in California. That has all been fascinating. Not exactly what you’d call fun, but very interesting.
  • The Mayoral election was lots of fun. For once I got to deal with politics the way I’d like, not the mess that goes on every four years. Mayor Joe Aguirre is a dream of a politician. 🙂

 

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

Joe and Eva meet on an arranged date. Not between them, but between Joe and a senior citizen whose wish granted by Dreams Come True (Eva’s non profit charity) was arranged by Eva, who is the chaperone for Savannah, the 83 year old who wants a date with a handsome politician before she forgets everything due to her early dementia. She insists Joe reminds her of Jack Kennedy, back in her day.

What attracts Eva to Joe is how sincere he seems with Savannah, giving the senior citizen 100% of his attention, and making her feel special on her Dreams Come True Date. She knows he is being honest and real and he is very, very attractive while doing it.

What attracts Joe to Eva is her non-profit that does many good things for aging citizens. She went out of her way to make Savannah’s night a smashing success, and her motives are clearly sincere. He also can’t help but notice how great she looks, when walking Savannah back from the ladies room, in the little black dress she wore to their dinner, and the fact, that she has great legs.

 

The First Kiss…

The first kiss is wild and crazy in the back of a stretch limousine, after dropping off Savannah at her assisted living facility and walking her to her door. Once Joe and Eva, who have both been aware of a subtle simmering attraction between them all night, are finally alone, and something crazy happens. They throw caution out of the open moon roof of the limo and kiss like lunatics…which leads to a whole lot more.

 

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

For reasons stated above, I would have to say the limousine scene would be the perfect scene to see if the actors were right for the part. Their surprising and ravenous attraction would have to be believable.

Excerpt:
…when they got to the limousine and the driver opened the door, Joe took Eva’s hand to help her inside. It was the first time they’d touched all night, and the warmth of his palm and fingers shimmered through her.
She swallowed and dared to look into his eyes. He’d felt something, too. There was no doubt about his heated stare.
They sat side by side on the leather bench seat toward the back of the limo. The lights were dimmed, and the sky light had been opened. Completely blocked out in the front, the driver started the engine and drove off. A satisfying hum from the road beneath the seats matched the hum vibrating through her.
Fresh sea air infused the interior, but it didn’t clear her thoughts. The stars and the moon passed overhead. That was more in keeping with her mood. She kicked off her shoes. Joe noticed. He gestured toward the bottle of champagne. She declined. Why toy with the perfection of this moment?
“It was great meeting Savannah. Thank you,” he said.
“You’re entirely welcome.”
“But now I’d like to get to know more about you.”
She sighed. Tonight had been all about fulfilling a person’s wish, a dream coming true. It had been wonderful and exciting and…
“Do we really want to drop back into reality already?”

 

If your hero had a sexy-times play list, what song(s) would have to be on it?

Love of My Life by Santana and Dave Matthews

And for the frustrated times – Love Bites by Def Leppard

 

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what – would it be and why?

Each decision or an action we make changes our life. Sometimes it is something small. Other times, is is mind-blowingly momentous. Be prepared.

Eva must decide to grant a unique wish for a senior citizen
Joe must choose to take the opportunity offered that would also be good publicity to help his re-election campaign. He’s not an opportunist by nature, but his campaign manager sure is. Still the decision rests solely on Joe’s shoulders.

 

What are you currently working on? What are your up-coming releases?*

I am happy to have been invited to write one of the Harlequin Special Edition Fortunes book for April 2021 release. This is my first time participating in a continuity for this line, though I’ve been involved in at least three other continuities for the Medical Romance line at Harlequin.
My story is a runaway groom trope. 😉
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: I have two autographed copies of the first book in this series to give away.
Cooking Up Romance (book #1 of the Taylor Sisters trilogy) Harlequin, Special Edition.
Since it is print, I need to give to US only.
If an international person wins, I will send from Book Depository but the book won’t be signed by me.

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Can you pinpoint a decision that changed the course of your life?
or Have your ever had a dream wish granted?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Date of a Lifetime:

I’d like to continue on from the snippet of the scene I shared above. Here is the rest of Chapter three:

Excerpt:
“Tonight was about granting a wish. Living a fantasy. Savannah got to have dinner with a smart and sexy man. She’s probably still walking on clouds.”
“And here we are riding in a limousine on a beautiful night,” he said, completely understanding her line of thinking. “Why blow the chance of a lifetime?”
“Exactly. Let’s just stay in the moment.” Yes, thanks to Savannah, she would dare to say it. This, right now, with him, was her dream, too.
His gaze didn’t leave her face as he took her hand again and lifted it toward his mouth, tenderly kissing it, as he had Savannah’s forehead, but in her case the frisson skipped up her arm, across her chest, then straight to her woman parts.
“Thank you for tonight,” he said in that deep and now husky voice.
She could barely breathe. With a single touch and a kiss to her hand, he’d just managed to knock her over the head with lust.
“You’re welcome,” she whispered, and then, taking the biggest chance of her life, added, “And thank you for now.”
One eyebrow shot up. He was a quick study, but she wanted to be sure.
“This magical night. We can make it ours now.”
She’d given him a less than subtle go-ahead. He moved toward her, taking the time to study her face up close, his eyes revealing how much he liked what he saw. She froze under his spell, barely able to breathe, but she’d just bragged about making magic. He was too much of a gentleman to overstep a silent invitation, he’d proved that already.
Did she have the nerve to go for her dream tonight? To make love to a sexy and amazing man in a limousine? No strings. Just feeling and being. Together. Stealing these few moments left in the night for herself?
She swallowed again, followed her instinct, took his face in her hands and kissed him with everything she had. The contact with his mouth made her woozy. His quick inhale and welcoming response fed the fire lapping her insides. Of course, he was a great kisser. How could the man not be, with such appeal oozing from every pore?
His hands slowly traveled all over her, their kisses deepened and fed some of the hunger welling up, but not nearly enough, and mostly stirring up more. Somehow her skirt got hiked up and she straddled him. To hell with twisting and turning, she needed to be facing him. Thankfully she’d skipped nylons. Heat from his palms pressed on her hips, pushing her closer to him.
Within moments clothes got unbuttoned and opened, and her breasts, though still in her bra, were flush to his chest. Nothing could stop them now.
“We’re at Mayor Aguirre’s home,” the chauffeur said through the intercom.
Eva stopped dead, looked into Joe’s fired-up eyes, his hair disheveled and begging for her fingers to return. He was right there with her, wanting what she wanted. She pressed her breathless lips to his again for one more quick taste, then snuggled closer to his chest, his hands pushing her hips firmly on top of his lap.
Somehow, she managed to find the intercom button.
“Keep driving!” they said in unison.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

They’re wrong for each other, but the chemistry is undeniable.

It’s not personal
It’s business. Sort of…

But it’s just one date—a wish fulfillment—for philanthropist and single mom Eva DeLongpre’s charity and a PR opportunity for Mayor Joe Aguirre’s reelection. Giving in to their mutual attraction was just a spontaneous, delicious one-off. But as the election turns ugly, Joe is forced to declare his intentions for Eva. When the votes are counted, she’s hoping love wins in a landslide.
Book Links: Amazon | B& N | iTunes | Google |
 
 

Meet the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author, Lynne Marshall has been traditionally published with Harlequin as a category romance author for more than thirteen years with thirty books, and more recently with TULE Publishing, she has also gone hybrid with self-publishing. She is a Southern California native, has been married to a New Englander for a long time, and has two adult children of whom she is super proud. She is also an adoring grandmother of two beautiful little girls, with a grandboy on the way, a woman of faith, a dog lover, a cat admirer, a meandering walker, a curious traveler, and an optimistic participant in this wild journey called life.
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | Goodreads |

 
 
 

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56 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Date of a Lifetime by Lynne Marshall”

  1. Mary Preston

    I was talked into going to a party. THE major decision of my life.

  2. erahime

    Can you pinpoint a decision that changed the course of your life? Yes, definitely.

    Have your ever had a dream wish granted? Hmm, maybe…?

  3. Debra Guyette

    My decision to move changed my life. I have never had a dream come true but I believe anything I should have dreamed have been met.

  4. Diana Tidlund

    Yes when I decided I’d had enough of my cheating abusive husband and had him arrested , got a restraining order and filed for divorce all in the same day ! My best friend bought me new clothes to start dating again because as my friend said there are other fish in the sea. My bestie even watched my kids for me to go out on dates. I was on my 3rd date with some guy when I realized I wanted my bestie ! When I got home and my bestie asked how it went I said it was ok but I realized I wanted you .
    We started dating the next day and have been together ever since. We married and he adopted my kids. He is the best man this woman could have ever asked for !

  5. Janine

    I did have a wish granted just recently. It was a total surprise. I have had a decision change the course of my life, but I can’t really say it was a good decision or a good change, but it was needing to be done at the time.

  6. Cheryl Hart

    Marrying my husband definitely changed the trajectory of my life. In a wonderful way.

  7. Linda May

    Love reading romance stories they make me feel warm and cozy inside. Thanks.

  8. Karina Angeles

    When I got pregnant with my firstborn. I knew I had to make wiser decisions and be a better person that my daughter could look up to.

    • Lynne Marshall

      Becoming a parent is a game changer, life is NEVER the same, and I’m thrilled you stepped up to the challenge. hugs

    • Lynne Marshall

      That had to be a tough decision! I hope you are subscribed to books on tape!

  10. dbranigan

    I would say when I met my husband. I had hard choices to make about my life and I chose at that time.Literally changed my life.

  12. Pammie R.

    My life is about almost. I almost made a decision to change my life and I almost had someone grant me a dream wish. Made me cynical.

    • Lynne Marshall

      Dang that’s frustrating! Hang in. If you’re a romance reader, you cannot be completely cynical. right?

  13. Ellen C.

    Marrying my husband and moving from a rural/suburban area to a decidedly urban area. Definitely changed my life giving me some experiences I never would have had otherwise. Another move to a suburban area in another state also changed my life.

  16. Kim

    Yes! Saying I would move across country with my then boyfriend, now husband.

  18. Diana Hardt

    No, I can’t pinpoint a decision that changed the course of my life. No, I have never had a dream wish granted.

    • Lynne Marshall

      Diana – I believe every single decision we make changes our life in some way.
      But having said that, I have never had a dream wish granted either because those are usually for people who are very sick or dying etc. So I wouldn’t expect you to have had that. But please keep thinking about that first question. There is a ripple effect for every choice we make.

  19. Glenda M

    I took a temporary transfer half-way across the country. Met my husband and stayed. (Left that job though since hubby worked for the company too.)

  23. Anna Nguyen

    i don’t know of it changed my life but i moved across the country from the east to west coast and i feel very happy that i took the chance

    • Lynne Marshall

      I’m positive it changed your life in many ways that will become apparent to you at some point. That is a big decision to make. All new place, friends, job, I’d say just about everything changed, wouldn’t you?

    • Lynne Marshall

      Absolutely. That’s what I was telling Anna the commenter above you. Everything!

    • Lynne Marshall

      That gave me goosebumps, Tammy. Hey, did you get the book I sent you for winning the January spotlight prize?

  26. Jana Leah

    After college, I made the decision to move across the country without any job prospects & without knowing anyone in my new location.

    • Lynne Marshall

      Wow, that was brave, AND it changed your life in all ways. Good for you.
      I know that if I hadn’t made the decision to change hospitals when I became an RN after being a Medical Transcriber for several years, I never would have met my husband. It was meant to be, right?

  28. Patricia B.

    The very first dream/wish I had come true was serving in the Peace Corps. I was in high school when President Kennedy announced its formation. I decided then and there I wanted to serve. I had to finish high school and college, but I left 3 weeks after graduation. It was a three year experience that taught me so much. My second wish – a wonderful husband and family came to pass a year after I got back.

    • Lynne Marshall

      Wonderful story. Thank you for sharing, and thank you for your important service in the Peace Corps. Where were you sent?

        • Lynne Marshall

          Living in a different country must certainly open your world. Plus the food is delicious, right?

  29. laurieg72

    In the early 90’s husband became ill, not life threatening. He had to leave a well paying job. We took all our saving and built two rental properties. We had 4 young children . Luckily with the help of my wonderful in-laws we were able to make it work. 25 years later after this upheaval,we are still together. My kids are healthy and starting their own families. We’ve had rough times 2008-2013 and now again. Love, faith, perseverance, determination ,hope, help all factored in on our success.

    Dream /wish Yes! My children are all happily married to their soul mates. They are all healthy. Plus, I have 5 wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!

  30. laurieg72

    In the early 90’s my husband became ill (with a non life threatening disease). It forced him to quit his well paying job. We had 4 young children. Luckily we had just enough savings to build 2 small rental properties. With the help of my in-laws, we made it work.
    25 years later we’re still together. We’ve had our ups and downs. 2008-2013 was really a bad time for us. It looks like we will be in financial trouble again right now. We will survive!

    Dream /Wish that my children would be happy and healthy

    All 4 of my children are happily married. They all have college degrees and good jobs. They are all healthy. I also have 5 wonderful grandchildren. I am blessed!

    • Lynne Marshall

      Thank you for sharing your proof about how decisions change the course of our life. I loved everything about your story!

  32. Angel Hollmeyer Crum

    I have! I choose to move in and take care of my parents when they were ill and it changed a lot of things

  35. SARAH TAYLOR

    No Not yet I haven’t Love reading these books Thanks for the chance!

  36. Terrill R.

    I made the decision to go to Montreal for 5 years when my husband was offered a job there. If I hadn’t wanted to go, he wouldn’t have taken it. The friends we met and the direction of my husband’s career would have been drastically altered if we didn’t go.

    • Lynne Marshall

      That’s a great (and perfect) example about decisions that change the course of a life. Some smaller decisions have the same effect, but it takes longer to realize it. Thank you for commenting.