Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Sarah Ballance to HJ!
Hi Sarah and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Finding Mr. Right Next Door!
Thanks so much for having me! This book has been a long time coming so I am not exaggerating when I tell you this feels AMAZING.
Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:
Sexy firefighter meets his match when his best friend burns down her own kitchen…and sets fire to his sheets.
Please share the opening lines of this book:
Lexi Dean’s kitchen was on fire.
One minute she stood amazed that her tart almost sort of looked like the one in the recipe, and the next, poof. Flames. From fruit.
She eyed the pan, wondering if she could get it into the sink and under running water without setting herself or her potholder on fire, but she didn’t have to contemplate long.
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
- Lexi’s kitchen fire was inspired by one that started in my grandmother’s kitchen. My grandmother, however, knew how to cook, and she’d long snagged my grandfather by then, so that’s where the similarities end. 😀
- I actually grew up in the fire department, as my dad had a long career there. I worried it might get weird to write firefighter romance, but thus far is has not. Shew.
- I’ve been all over Colorado, but the place I think of when I write Dry Rock (which is where this series is set) is Estes Park, home of the iconic Stanley Hotel as well as one of the gateways to Rocky Mountain National Park.
- Waffles got his name after stealing a plate of…you guessed it, Waffles.
- This is actually the third version of this book. I’ve never had to rewrite an entire book before, but this one required it…twice. And I’ve never been so glad for the extra work, because the end result is amazing!
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
Matt and Lexi have been inseparable literally since they were in diapers. They’ve known their whole lives just how much they shared, and how much they stood to lose if they ever crossed that line and it didn’t work out. So for these two, it wasn’t a matter of the first moment. It was about the turning point. Once they realized that things were going to change between them—that their inaction wasn’t going to keep things safe forever—they knew they had no choice.
Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?
Fierce, risky, heartfelt, playful, deep.
The First Kiss…
Impulsive, passionate, profound, game changing
Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?
I have so many I love, but this one, where Matt is trying to convince Lexi that he can make her swoon over a bunch of scripted lines as easily as could any romcom hero, is one of my favorites:
“Have you ever thought about that, Lexi? Have you ever really found that moment of surrender, when you stop thinking and just let go?” Matt’s voice had dropped to a whisper, his face inches from hers, and he’d moved his hand to her cheek, gently dragging her bottom lip with his thumb.
Gently dragging her into a puddle.
“You have no idea how many times I’ve wondered what that must be like,” he said. “To be the man who takes you to the edge, to go over it with you. Your eyes must be so beautiful in that moment.”
She sighed, only it wasn’t something quiet and easily hidden. It was more of a lust-driven hiccup, and she wanted to sob with the sweet anguish of knowing she’d now forever be imagining the same thing. Not her eyes, but the look on his face, because there was no way she’d ever forget it now.
He leaned in, closing the last couple of inches, and she did close her eyes then, terrified he was going to take this one step further, praying that he might. But instead of what felt like an inevitable kiss, he brushed her ear with his mouth, jolting her with electricity before he whispered, “Told you.”
If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?
Their first kiss would definitely be a crucial part of the movie! Here’s a glimpse:
Lexi looked up at Matt, unmistakable heat flaring in her eyes, softening the edges of her narrowed gaze. She might be annoyed with him for interrupting the tail end of her date, but the passion newly glinting in those fields of cornflower hadn’t sparked with that guy.
This was all for Matt.
She stood taller, not the least bit waylaid by his question. “It’s an adult relationship. Shared goals. Plans. Dreams. Taking a chance that something amazing is waiting.”
“Something amazing?” His heart pounded, like it knew. “Something like this?”
Before he could think, he was kissing her. Not the kind of event that happened and was done, but something that exploded into driving need, like every emotion he’d ever had for that woman demanded to be recognized in that moment.
And she stunned him.
She didn’t melt. It was more of a fiery surrender, a palpable shock that ricocheted between them, a longing that splintered and uncoiled until it found a tenuous resting spot on this new ground they’d charted. Everything he knew in that moment he felt through her. The softness of her lips. The sweet whisper of her breath. The instant surprise eclipsed with a quiet whimper. But undeniably, untouchably, the moment she kissed him back. The gravity of what he’d done hit him then, with all the subtlety of a shovel to the forehead, and he wasn’t sure if it was she who nearly brought him to his knees or the force of his own regret.
Not because this was the best damned kiss of his life.
But because he’d just ruined everything. He’d crossed that line and ruined a lifetime of Lexi and Matt.
Readers should read this book …
You’ll laugh, you’ll cry, you’ll fall in love a dozen times. These characters leap from the pages with a real, heartfelt romance that you’ll feel long after their story ends.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have planned?
Rumor has it that there will be more from the Firefighters of Station 1, but right now, I’m working on a romantic suspense with a serial killer and some family baggage. A pretty solid 180 from romantic comedy, lol, but I like to switch it up!
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: One (1) signed paperback copy of Her Sexy Challenge, book 1 in the Firefighters of Station 1 series
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: My mom met my dad after lightning struck her house and he was a first responder. Decades later, my grandmother’s kitchen fire gave her a much-needed remodel, and eventually inspired Lexi’s own kitchen disaster. Every now and then our real-life stories take these unexpected turns, so my question for you is this: What are your experiences with situations that went *way* south but turned out better than you could have expected?
Excerpt from Finding Mr. Right Next Door:
Guys, meet Elsie, whom I adore. She’s Matt’s grandma, but she’s arguably closer to Lexi because of, well, moments like this one:
Elsie stood now with her hands on her hips, a backdrop of family photos and floral prints cluttering the walls behind her. Matt’s attention always went first to one of him as a baby with his parents. The rest, it seemed, included Lexi or her parents, and the realization that Lexi would eventually have her own family—one that didn’t include him—hit him like a punch to the gut. He couldn’t think of anything worse than losing her.
“Well, then,” his grandma said, “if Lexi isn’t here, you’re just going to have to get me my condoms yourself.”
Or maybe he could.
Matt blinked. “Excuse me?”
“Don’t give me that look, young man.” She gathered the hem of what looked like a nightgown and eased into a chair. “You know rates of STDs are rising among the old folks. Up fifty percent, last I heard.”
Matt knew no such thing. EMS training be damned, he didn’t want to know any such thing.
“And they provide them here,” she continued, oblivious to his shock, “but you know how much they charge us?” Elsie looked toward the door and yelled, “Gladys, what is it for the condoms now?”
“Two fifty,” an elderly voice returned.
Elsie smacked her own thigh. “That’s right. Two dollars and fifty cents. Each. You’d think they’d give them away. Do you have any idea how much extra they charge at this place if you need medical attention? You’d think they’d want these old geezers breaking hips left and right.” To Matt’s absolute horror, his grandmother lightly punctuated her revelation by pumping her hips in the chair.
“I can never unsee that,” he muttered. Louder, he asked, “Lexi brings you condoms?” He didn’t really want to know, but he didn’t want to wonder if he’d misheard, either.
Elsie stared down her nose at him, the bright blue frames of her glasses perched crookedly. “Did you say Lexi was on a date?”
“Yes.”
“With someone else?”
“Well, she’s not here with me,” Matt pointed out.
“I hope she’s not using my condoms,” Elsie mused.
However unintended, that wasn’t just a low blow. It was a physical one. “That makes two of us.”
Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Book Info:
For Lexi Dean, burning down her kitchen was disaster enough. Agreeing to move in next door with her totally off-limits best friend, Matt Freeman, until her house is livable again?
Utter madness.
They’ve always been close, but this is ridiculous. If she’s not bumping into him at the refrigerator, he’s at the front door giving her date the third degree. And slipping between his borrowed sheets? That’s about as distracting as listening to his shower run, because suddenly all she can think about is rivulets of water cascading down is spectacular body—the one he seems to be going out of his way to make sure she notices.
Not that it matters. He can flaunt his firefighter abs around her all he wants. They already share everything—their jobs, their friends, their backyard, even their dog—and that means only one thing: Lexi is not going to risk losing any of it by dipping a single toe in the temptation that is Matt Freeman.
Lexi may not know how to handle a fire extinguisher, but this is one fire that just might burn them both if they’re not careful…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
Meet the Author:
SARAH BALLANCE is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary, historical, and supernatural romance and romantic suspense. She’s been married to her own romantic hero for what he calls a “long, long time” (and no, he’ll never hear the end of saying that). Together they have six children … and clearly too much time on their hands. She currently writes for Entangled Publishing.
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Mary Preston
It’s been my experience that episodes of ‘going south’ are just that. I suppose what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger comes to mind.
erahime
When you don’t really expect to have them go in that direction and your reactions to said events determines your views of said events delivers it being better or not in your eyes. “Your reaction determines everything.”
Lori R
I can’t think of anything, but I always try to find the good out of everything.
Debra Guyette
We had one child and decided to adopt one because we were told having another was not to be. Then my FIL got sick and my hubby went to help. And we wound up with our third daughter.
Pamela Conway
I think things happen for a reason. My sister & I had a situation at our Mother’s house & we needed a plumber. He has since become a good friend & a handyman to call.
Nina T
I don’t remember any situation like this.
Diana Hardt
I can’t think of anything.
Lori Byrd
I can’t think of any but they are good learning experiences.
janinecatmom
I honestly can’t think of time my life has gone way south and turned out better than expected.
dbranigan
Off the top of my head, I can’t think of one. I have been pretty lucky in my life and haven’t had too many big issues.
Kim
Nothing comes to mind.
[email protected]
My house burned and we moved 4 hours away to be near the grandchildren .
lasvegasnan
Nothing that I can remember.
Amy R
My mom lost her job and we moved a few hours away and I really enjoy where we live now and raising my kids in this area.
Lynne Brigman
I have had experience that went south. Never had them to go north just stayed south.
Kathleen Bylsma
Depends on definition…my late husband’s kidney stone attack resulted in a diagnosis of PKD which would have destroyed his kidneys before we found out about it….being alerted to it, I was able to forestall his dialysis and transplant for 30 plus years by dietary control.
Kis disease didn’t kill him, Vietnam and Agent Orange did…
Anna Nguyen
i don’t think i have ever been in a situation like this. but maybe it might be when my apartment has had false fire alarms and everyone has to go outside and wait till its ready to go back in. you see a lot of your neighbors you don’t see that often.
Teresa Warner
I haven’t experienced anything like this yet!
Jana Leah
I can’t think of anything, so I’m guessing nothing has happened that has taken such an unexpected route that it would be memorable.
Shannon Capelle
When I got pregnant with my first daughter at 18 and my mom was so upset with me, my daughter is the best gift that happened to me!!
Glenda M
The only thing I can think of is when I wrecked the car as a teen and my dad later thanked me because insurance value was higher than what he’d paid for the car.
erinf1
alas, I’ve never had an experience like that. My life has been boring 🙂 thanks for sharing!
Patricia B.
We were an Air Force family for 24 years. One move was from Northern New York to Colorado Springs, CO. over New Years. The move was going OK until we hit Iowa and drove into a blizzard. We had 2 vehicles, 2 children, a cat, a dog, dozens of house plants, and a dozen cases of jar canned vegetables in addition to our luggage. We stopped because my car made an odd noise which turned out to be crushed bearings in a wheel. It was a lucky break. We got the last hotel room and they closed the interstate for what turned out to be 3 more days. With wind chill it was 100 degrees below. The snow blew in around the door to our room and it never got above 55 in the room. We of course had to unload everything from the vehicles so nothing froze. We had to carry the dog outside or her feet would would have frozen to the ground. “Luckily” there was a greasy spoon dinner next to the motel. The kids loved it – pancakes, french fries, and ice cream sundaes every day. It made us a bit late, but turned out to be a once in a lifetime (I hope) experience we all will never forget and of which we actually have fond memories.
Ellen C.
Nothing comes to mind. Good question.
Irma Jurejevčič (@IrmaJurejevcic)
When we changed the roof over our house we saw that it was merely a few weeks away before the whole thing would colapse. Lucky us.
Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz
I don’t have one
Thanks for the chance!
Anita H.
I can’t really think of any situations like that but I try to make the most of every “not-so-good” situations
SusieQ
When I was laid off from the only adult job I had ever had (I thought I would retire with that company), I ended up with a much better job that I loved.
Charlotte Litton
So far nothing has.
Katrina Dehart
Ran into an old friend and reconnected while having to go to the ER with my son
bn100
n/a
Daniel M
none, nothing much good ever happens… ever
Colleen C.
can’t think of any
laurieg72
One winter when I was a Senior in college I decided to take a break and went cross country skiing at a local park. After I was done I laid down on a large fallen tree and enjoyed the warm sunshine on my face. A photographer for the local newspaper took my picture and asked my permission to put it in the local paper. Coming from a small city I had no problems with it. Afterwards I started to receive porn and heavy breathing phone call hangups. I contacted the police but at that time there was nothing they could do. I was freaked out as this perp knew my address, complete with correct apartment number and my phone number. I was dating a really nice guy who I thought was “the one”. We’d been dating since early September. To make a long story short this incident brought out his protective instincts and drew us closer together. We were engaged a couple of months later. I moved to a new apartment for the summer.
Luckily the bad guy lost track of me. The policemen were super nice. They told me never to put my name with a picture in the newspaper.
joab4424
I had been an office manager in a small company when a man was hired to revamp the company. He thought getting rid of all the “old” staff and hiring new would be a good idea. I was in my 50’s then so finding a new permanent job was not to be. One of m kids thought I should move in with her. I didn’t like the idea at the time but I’m glad not be be alone now.
BookLady
When my husband lost his job, we moved to a new area for a job opportunity. We loved the new location!
Rachael
Can’t think of anything x
Nancy Payette
Ending up as a single parent. My sons & I are very close because we only had each other.
C Rose Lo
Don’t really remember any situations like that right now.
Terrill R.
That’s a hard one. None come to mind, but I know that there have been many.