Spotlight & Giveaway: One Hot Texas Summer by Nicole Flockton

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Nicole Flockton to HJ!

Hi Nicole and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, One Hot Texas Summer!

To start off, can you please tell us a little bit about this book?:

Kelly and Tate’s story is about learning that trusting someone to help you ease your burdens isn’t a bad thing, but in fact could be the best thing you could ever do. Together Tate and Kelly learn that the past doesn’t have to define their future.
 

Please share your favorite lines or quote(s) from this book:

Kelly rolled her eyes. “Fine. You want to know why I have a problem with him? It’s because I don’t want to think of my flowers as being a kiss-off gift to Tate Prentice’s latest bed partner.”
Of course, the song would finish while she was speaking. Her words echoed around the bar and everyone looked her way, including Tate and his brother.
Seriously, where was that damn sinkhole when she needed it?

What inspired this book?

Hmm things that inspired the book. Well let’s see:

• I wanted to explore family dynamics in a series again
• I love flowers so having a heroine as a florist was fun to write and I could imagine that I can create beautiful arrangements. (psst – I can’t make pretty flower arrangements)

How did you ‘get to know’ your main characters? Did they ever surprise you?

Kelly is an independent woman who has her own business. She got an accounting degree and worked in the industry for a while. But after coming back to Sweet Ridge she returned to her first love – working with flowers.

Tate is a complex character. Usually the youngest of the family are the ones who are carefree and shrug off responsibility. Tate is the opposite he takes on more and more responsibility than he can handle.

One thing surprised me was Tate taking something his dad said to him and running with it. To me it was a sweet theme in the book.

What was your favorite scene to write?

What was my favorite scene, hmm, I think it’s the one where Kelly and Tate are visiting his Dad at the center where he’s recovering and receiving treatment after his stroke. He and Kelly are building a house of cards.

“Better be careful, Kelly girl—that card you’re about to put on could bring it all tumbling down.”
“Pfft,” she responded. “I know you’re trying to psyche me out, Trenton Prentice. But I’ve worked in the cutthroat world of corporate America accounting, so your mind games won’t work on me.”
Tate bit his lip to stop from laughing out loud. As Kelly placed her card on the top of her design, the whole thing wobbled before settling down, the card staying in place.
“See,” she crowed triumphantly. “Never any doubt in my mind it wouldn’t come tumbling down. Come on, Trenton, show me what you’ve got.”
She sat back and Tate leaned over and whispered in her ear, “Thank you.”
She turned and her lips were so close it wouldn’t take anything for him to close the gap and possess them. Only the fact his father sat across from them made him control the urge.
“For what?” she asked.
He canted his head to where Dad was getting ready to place his card on his creation. “This. For spending time with him.”
He thought for a second Kelly was going to shift, putting space between them again. If she did, Tate would want to snatch her close again.
“It’s no hardship at all. Your dad is fun, and it’s been a long time since I’ve built a house of cards.”
Out of the corner of his eye, he saw his dad’s fingers creeping closer and closer to Kelly’s house on the table.
“He’s going to knock my cards down, isn’t he?” she whispered.
“I cannot confirm nor deny the possibility that that event may occur.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

I don’t think there was a particular scene that was difficult to write in the book. Normally I just power through. Making sure to get the tension between the brothers always took some careful planning.

TATE STRODE THROUGH the orchards, frustration biting at his heels. The day had started off badly and had steadily worsened until he wanted to pull his hair out. Instead, he pulled off his cowboy hat, slapped some nonexistent dust off it, and jammed it back on. It didn’t make him feel any less frustrated, but it was better than slamming his fist into a tree trunk. Yeah, he didn’t need a broken hand with the festival almost upon them.
His mood could also be because he hadn’t seen Kelly in over a week since their weekend away, both of them so busy with last minute festival arrangements. The most they’d been able to do was text, and they’d had a couple of FaceTime conversations, which he wouldn’t have minded them turning into more. Only he didn’t want to be getting hot and heavy with Kelly only to have Dad call him because he needed something.
His phone buzzed in this pocket and he pulled it out, anticipation leaping in his throat. He might see Kelly’s name scrolling across his screen. Sadly, it was Tyler’s—another cause of his frustration.
“What do you want, Tyler?” So what if his greeting was less than friendly. His brother had pulled another disappearing act and instead of being around to help with some of the setup, he was in Houston speaking to wine representatives to see if they could get his wine into restaurants once it officially launched.

Would you say this book showcases your writing style or is it a departure for you?

This book is very true to my brand. A sweet romance with a bit of heat and a lot of good feel moments.

What do you want people to take away from reading this book?

That it’s okay to lean on people when you need it. That asking for help doesn’t mean you can’t cope.

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

I’m currently working the third book in this series which is coming out in October. Tyler’s story “Falling for the Texan” is coming out in August and I have book in Susan Stoker’s Badge of Honor world coming out in July.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: An ebook of One Hot Texas Summer and 3 Tule ebooks of your choice

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Excerpt from One Hot Texas Summer:

Kelly Turner had a nice buzz going on, and it wasn’t from the alcohol she’d consumed. No, the pleasant feeling flowing through her was from the company she was keeping. Macy and Charlotte Cooper were so much fun. Gage, Charlotte’s husband, had greeted them at Silver Spurs when they’d arrived, wrapping his arms around his wife and kissing her so passionately, Kelly had blushed on their behalf. He’d then proceeded to take their daughter so Charlotte could enjoy her lunch. Without a doubt, if Gavin had been there, he would’ve kissed Macy just as passionately.
“Before I could stop her, Oil Slick jumped on the kitchen counter and proceed to swipe the piece of cooked chicken I’d taken out to cut up for my salad. When I complained to Gage, he just picked up the cat and crooned that his precious Oil Slick would never do anything like that.”
Kelly laughed. “I still can’t get my head around Gage Cooper being owned by a cat.”
“Trust me, he totally is. But”—Charlotte paused and took a sip of her drink—“it’s kind of sweet. Oil Slick seems to know when he turns the car into the driveway. She races to the door, and the second he opens it, she’s rubbing up his leg, begging to picked up. Soon she’ll have competition when Jacqui starts walking.”
Kelly sighed inwardly at the picture Charlotte was painting. That was the type of life she’d always imagined she’d have. The husband, kids, and pets. Everyone excited to see him when he got home from work. Her elusive husband kissing the kids’ cheeks, petting the dog and cat, and then his eyes would find her and a special sparkle would enter them. A sparkle just for her. He’d stroll across the room to her, pull her close, and kiss her with a passion that only increased over time.
This man would be her true soul mate.
She closed her eyes and her mystery husband’s face formed fully in her imagination.
Tate Prentice.
What? No way.
A gasp escaped and her eyes flew open to find Charlotte and Macy looking at her, concerned expressions on their faces.
“Is everything okay, Kelly?” Macy asked, leaning across the table and placing her hand on Kelly’s arm. “You look like you’ve seen a vase full of dead flowers on a bridal table.”
Kelly spluttered. A vase of dead flowers would’ve been preferable to the image of Tate Prentice as her husband. Why the hell was she even giving him space in her mind? The chances of him playing happy family with her were as likely as her winning the lottery. So what if his recent visits to her shop had set her heart fluttering, a reaction that made no sense to her at all. “I’m fine. Just remembered that I hadn’t responded to an email. It’s okay. Nothing to worry about.” She was rambling, and from Charlotte and Macy’s right looks, her friends didn’t believe her. But they were good enough to let it fly.
Grabbing her drink, she took a long swallow. She really needed to go on a date. Anything to get the vision of Tate Prentice as her husband out of her mind. There were slim pickings of good-looking guys sitting by themselves at the bar when they’d walked in. With Gage bringing his business headquarters to Sweet Ridge, she had hoped there would be more opportunities for her. Then again, she hadn’t been actively looking, so how would she really know who was available? Time to change that.
In the corner, opposite from where they sat, she spied Tate’s older brother Tyler at a table, a folder in front of him and an intense look on his face.
Out of the three brothers, Tyler had always been the one who acted like the world was against him. He was as good-looking as Tate and Trey, but there was not one iota of spark or interest flaring to life inside her. Unlike when she looked at Tate. Ugh, she needed to stop. Tate was younger than her, and with his reputation around town, he was still in that playing-the-field phase of life. A phase she’d left far behind. Although she hadn’t done much playing when she’d been younger. She was beginning to sense a pattern about her love life.
Thinking about it, her ideal man would be someone older who had a bit of life experience. Edwin had been the same age as her and she’d thought they were a great match. Wrong. Oh, how she’d been so wrong about her ex and his lifestyle.
“There was another reason I wanted to meet with you today, Kelly.” The teasing tone had exited Macy’s voice and Kelly gripped her glass a little tighter. Everything in her was screaming for her to run away.
“Okay. This sounds serious.”
“Not really. What I’m about to ask is going to be a big task. And I know it’s short notice, but if anyone can pull it together you can.”
The more Macy talked, the more apprehensive Kelly became. What did her friend want of her? “Okay, I’ll listen, but I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to do what you want me to do.”
A chair scraped over the floor and Kelly looked to her right. She should have controlled the urge. Tate Prentice had walked in and was sitting down at the table with his brother. He took off his cowboy hat and ran his fingers through his brown hair, giving it the just-out-of-bed look instead of the flatness from wearing his hat. Tate chose that moment to look over at her, and his eyes widened with shock at seeing her. He nodded and just the corners of his mouth quirked up and dammit, her heart gave a little flutter at the gesture.
Hell, she needed to get control of herself. This was beyond ridiculous.
With a concentrated effort she returned his smile and then turned back to look at her friends. Both had sly little grins on their faces.
Now would be the perfect time for a sinkhole to open up beneath her chair and suck her down. No way was she going to be able to get away by answering her friends with a vague response.
“What?” she asked, trying to feign innocence.
“That was an interesting exchange between you and Tate Prentice. Anything you want to tell us?” Charlotte asked before clamping her straw in her mouth and taking a long sip. If it was an attempt to hide her smile, it failed miserably.
“Nope. He’s just been coming into my store a lot recently to buy flowers. Wants a different arrangement each week.”
“Hmm, I hadn’t heard he got himself a girlfriend,” Macy mused, looking over at the table where the Prentice brothers sat. Kelly resisted the urge to glance over to see if they were looking at them.
“You think he has one girlfriend? Just look at him and you have heard about his reputation, right? I’m sure he’s got many girlfriends.” Damn, she hadn’t been able to keep the snark out of her voice. Not to mention how telling it was to comment about his looks.
“You sound a bit put out by that thought. Care to tell us why?” Macy asked.
No way was she answering that. And Macy still hadn’t told her why she wanted to meet with her. Yes, she could turn the conversation back in that direction.
“What I’d really like to know is why you asked me here.”
Macy wagged her finger. “Uh-uh, I know what you’re doing here, and it’s not going to work.”
Kelly rolled her eyes. “Fine. You want to know why I have a problem with him? It’s because I don’t want to think of my flowers as being a kiss-off gift to Tate Prentice’s latest bed partner.”
Of course, the song would finish while she was speaking. Her words echoed around the bar and everyone looked her way, including Tate and his brother.
Seriously, where was that damn sinkhole when she needed it?
“Well, okay then,” Charlotte commented and waved a hand in the air. “Nothing to see here, folks. Go back to your beer.”
Another song blasted out of the jukebox and everyone did as Charlotte asked. Could this day get any worse? Everything in Kelly wanted to turn toward Tate’s table and see what he was doing. How he’d reacted to her outburst. Her cheeks burned and she didn’t need a mirror to know they were bright red.
“So, that thing I wanted to ask you, I’m not sure it’s a good idea now.” Macy toyed with her straw.
“Nothing you say now could be as bad as just announcing to the whole bar what I think of Tate’s personal life. I might as well shut up shop now. No one is going to want to buy flowers from me.”
Maybe she could look at getting back in accounting. Move to a big city again, where the chances of her being the main topic of conversation over the evening meal at Betty Lou’s Diner were slim.
She could learn to love numbers again, couldn’t she?
A shiver of revulsion swept through her at the thought of being chained to a desk instead of being free to create beautiful flower bouquets. Maybe she could find a florist job somewhere.
“Stop it, Kelly. Just because you said something about Tate doesn’t mean you’re going to lose business. Probably the opposite. You know how this town is, they’ll all drop by wanting your beautiful arrangements,” Charlotte said.
Well, hopefully, everyone felt the same way as Charlotte. She, on the other hand, wasn’t so sure. She’d love to be proved wrong though.
“I agree with Charlotte. Here goes nothing.” Macy leaned forward and Kelly copied her actions. “You know I’m the new chairperson for Founders’ Day committee.”
“Yep. You’re doing an amazing job.”
“Thanks, Kel. I’ve got big shoes to fill, seeing as Meg Dawson has left and she could do everything with her eyes closed.”
“Macy, you’ve toured the country and the world. If anyone can wrangle the masses to do your bidding, it’ll be you,” Charlotte said, smiling big at her sister-in-law.
“I don’t know about that, Char, but I appreciate your vote of confidence. Anyway…” She redirected her attention back to Kelly, and immediately Kelly sat a little straighter. There was a glint of humor and challenge in Macy’s gaze, and she wasn’t sure she really wanted to know what her friend was about to ask of her.
“We’re going to change it up a little bit this year. We’ve decided to hold some events in the town square like always, but we want to have some of the vendors display their wares at another location.”
So far, it didn’t sound too onerous. It was fine by her to have her stand at the other location than the center of town. No doubt Macy had a plan to get people to and from both sites.
“That seems like a good idea. If you’re asking me to relocate to the alternate place, I’m happy to.”
“Well, that’s good to hear, but no, that’s not what I’m asking. What I want to know is if you’ll oversee the setup at the other location. You’ll have full control of where you want to place the stands. How you want to decorate them. We’re going with a red-and-gold theme for the satellite site and the usual red, white, and blue for the center of town.”
“But I’m not on the committee. Shouldn’t the person in charge of the other location be from there?”
“Well, yes, but I know you do most of the flower arrangements for the weekend, and I just think you have such a better eye for decorating than”—she lowered her voice to a whisper—“Mary-Beth Jones. God, I love that woman, but honestly, her sense of style is so outdated it’s not funny.”
Kelly had to agree. Mary-Beth was a much loved member of the community, but every time Kelly had suggested a different type of flower arrangement for the urns on either side of the stage, Mary-Beth had put her foot down and said, “You don’t mess with tradition.” So Kelly had done the same arrangements for the last few years. It would be nice to branch out.
Okay, so maybe the day was going to get better.
“I love the idea of being in charge of the decorations and the other location, but seriously, Macy, I don’t want to step on anyone’s toes. I’ll gladly assist, but it really should be a committee member who does this.”
Macy waved away her concerns. “I’m the chairperson. I can appoint subcommittees and others to help. I want you to do this. You know we need some new blood on the committee, it’s been the same folks for decades.”
“Well, sure, count me in.”
“Fantastic. It’s going to be so good. This year’s Founders’ Day event is going to be the best yet.”
“So was it your idea for the two locations this year? And isn’t it a bit late in the planning to go for two sites?” Kelly asked. Founders’ Day was held on the first weekend in August. It was close to the end of June, so not a lot of planning time.
“Umm, no.” Macy darted a look across to where Tate and Tyler appeared to be having an intense conversation.
And just like that the bad feeling returned. She had an idea of where the other location was going to be, and she hoped to God her intuition was wrong. Which it had to be because her intuition had never been right.
“Whose idea was it?”
“Well, you know the committee needs new people on it. Apart from me, Tyler Prentice took his dad’s place. He was the one who suggested the other venue.”
“Let me guess, the other location is the Prentice Peach Farm.”
Macy grimaced and nodded.
Damn, for once in her life, Kelly’s intuition seemed to be on point.

“No way, Tyler. Not happening.” Tate Prentice sat back and crossed his arms over his chest. “I won’t have the whole town traipsing through the peach orchards.”
“It’s not just your orchard, Tate. From what I recall, Dad still owns the farm—you’re just running it.”
Tate clenched his jaw until he almost broke his back teeth. “That was a low blow, Tyler. I love the farm as much as Dad, if not more. I’m the one who has walked it over and over with him. Not you or Trey. All you’re concerned about now is your vines. You don’t give a shit about the peaches. The very thing that has given you the ability to create the wine you’re so passionate about.”
It would be so easy to walk out and leave Tyler sitting by himself, but the last thing he wanted to do was cause a scene. Especially after what had happened with Kelly Turner basically calling him the town playboy. A reputation he supposed he deserved. But he was done sowing his wild oats. In fact, he hadn’t even gone on a date in three months. Of course, looking after the farm and visiting Dad put a crimp in his social life, but he’d gotten tired of the merry-go-round that had become his dating routine.
But it still stung she thought his flowers were a kiss-off gift. Of course, he hadn’t explained why he purchased the bouquets to her, and well, fuck, he didn’t have to explain his actions to anyone. He was his own man and could do his own thing.
Like not agree to the asinine idea of Tyler’s to allow the Founders’ Day committee to hold part of the town’s weekend-long festival at the farm.
“Look, I’m really telling you as a courtesy, Tate. It’s a done deal—the committee thinks it’s a great idea, and Macy was excited to breathe life into the event. You know it’s been the same for decades. It’s time to liven it up a little bit.”
A sneaking suspicion wove its way into Tate’s mind. Tyler was so passionately defending it and trying to convince him it was the best thing since peach jam. “It was your idea, wasn’t it? And I bet it has something to do with your wine.”
Tyler’s expression didn’t change, but Tate caught the slight tic in his right eye. A giveaway he’d gotten something right. Tate wasn’t even sure Tyler was aware of the little tell, and there was no way he planned on mentioning it to his brother.
“So what if it was?” Tyler sat forward. “Look, Tate, I want this wine to succeed. I want to bring something to the family. Yes, this is my dream, just like Trey’s is baseball and yours is following in Dad’s footsteps and running the farm. Wine is my thing. By having the festival at the farm, I’ll be able to create a little buzz for the business. Even have a couple cases of wine for people to sample before it releases in the fall.”
Tyler’s indifferent wall he’d encased himself in cracked a little, letting Tate see his brother for the first time in a long while. Never would he have imagined that Tyler would all but beg Tate to do something for him. Tyler had always walked to his own drumbeat, even more so since their mom had died.
Could he do this for him? Could he let the town hold part of its festival at the peach farm? What would Dad do? That was the million-dollar question, because Trenton Prentice had closed in on himself as well after his wife’s death. They all had. The Prentice family had splintered when Mary Prentice had died of a sudden heart attack. She’d been the glue that bound them. He, Dad, and his brothers had yet to find their way back to being the unit they’d once been. Life went on, and now Tate was faced with making a decision that would normally have been Dad’s. He wouldn’t ask Dad’s opinion on this scheme of Tyler’s. Tate wanted his father to concentrate on his recovery after his stroke, not on matters related to the farm. And he was getting better, but the stress of having to play mediator between his two sons wouldn’t do him any good.
“You know Dad is due to come home soon. Don’t you think all the people traipsing around the farm will cause him undue stress?” Tate asked.
“It’s not like they’re going to go through the house. Besides, maybe seeing the farm flourishing will help his recovery.”
Tate highly doubted that, but this was his brother asking, and even though their relationship was strained, he would do anything for his family—including this. Why argue the point, especially if Tyler said the whole committee had agreed on it. The choice had been taken out of his hands. “Fine. You win. I’m okay with part of the festival being held at the property.”
Tyler smiled, a genuine happy smile, something he rarely did. “Thanks, bro, it will be good for all of us, I promise.”
“I hope so. Just don’t involve me too much, will you? Between making sure Dad is keeping up with his rehab and dealing with the harvest schedule, I won’t have time to mess around with things.”
Tyler fidgeted in his chair and couldn’t meet Tate’s eyes. “Well, here’s the thing. I’d arranged for a trip to California to look over the wineries there. See what’s happening and latest techniques. The trip has been booked for months. I can’t be the liaison with the committee.”
Tate felt like a bull charging a matador. Just when he thought things between him and his brother might have a chance of changing, Tyler had to go and make it all about himself. For too long, Tyler had been self-absorbed with his wine venture. Tate totally understood the need to follow dreams, but not at the expense of others. It wasn’t like Tyler didn’t know how busy this time of year was at the farm—hell, he’d grown up there and helped with the harvests.
“Why the hell did you volunteer our farm to host the event when you knew you were going to be away? What exactly are you expecting of me, Tyler?”
He shifted again, and Tate was glad to see his brother looking uncomfortable. “Macy said she was going to arrange for someone to be in charge of setup and decorating the place. You’ll need to work with them to make sure you’re happy with the placement of everything. It won’t take up too much of your time. The committee will be doing most of the hard work.”
Tate scrubbed his hand down his face. This was getting worse with each passing second. “I’ll still need to oversee what they’re doing, make sure they’re not going to places where they shouldn’t be. I can’t believe you’re expecting me to do this when it was your idea.”
Tyler actually looked sorry. His normally stoic brother had shown him some chinks in his armor today. “I know it’s a lot to ask, and I know I’m being selfish making you deal with it all…”
“Ya think?”
“I admit I got carried away when I was at the meeting. I thought it was a good idea to showcase all that Prentice Peach Farm is. How we’re expanding.”
“Again, it’s all about you and what you want, Tyler. Everyone in Sweet Ridge knows exactly what Prentice Peach Farm is. I bet not once did you even think about what this means to me.”
Silence descended between them. He’d come to Silver Spurs hoping to have a nice lunch with his brother. Why had he ever expected that to happen?
Misplaced hope, that’s what.
But maybe if he did this for Tyler, it would be the start. Tate was ever the optimist, and it was his biggest flaw, too. He always left himself wide open to be hurt.
He looked around the room, and his gaze went to Kelly. The pretty florist was laughing at something Macy was saying. Tate had no idea what it was about her that drew him in, but he needed to get a handle on it. There was no time in his life now to even consider a relationship of some sort. Not that she’d give him the time of day after her earlier declaration. Yet…
“I think Macy was going to ask Kelly to be the liaison. She does all the flower arranging for the festival. Macy thought she’d be a good person to help with the setup.”
“What?” Had he said Kelly was going to be his liaison, or had he imagined Tyler saying Kelly’s name because he’d been thinking about her?
“Kelly Turner, the woman who thinks you’re the town playboy, she’s going to be the one you will be working with.”
“Great,” he muttered. How much more complicated was this event going to get?

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

She’s been fooled before by sweet words and hot kisses

Kelly Turner loves being a florist, and being asked to take the lead on the new site for the town’s festival is an honor. If only she didn’t have to work closely with the town player, Tate Prentice. After being burned once by a serial cheater, her inconvenient attraction toward Tate needs to be nipped in the bud.

Tate Prentice’s focus is on ensuring his father recovers fully from his stroke and making sure the family’s peach farm continues to thrive. When his brother nominates the farm to be the satellite site for the festival, he’s less than impressed. The only good thing is he’ll be working with Kelly – even though he knows she’ll never give him a second glance, not with his reputation.

The more time Kelly spends with Tate, the more she sees the man behind the reputation. Can she trust her instincts, or will her heart be broken once again?

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Meet the Author:

USA Today Bestselling author Nicole Flockton writes sexy contemporary romances, seducing you one kiss at a time as you turn the pages. Nicole likes nothing better than taking characters and creating unique situations where they fight to find their true love.

On her first school report her teacher noted “Nicole likes to tell her own stories”. It wasn’t until after the birth of her first child and after having fun on a romance community forum that she finally decided to take the plunge and write a book. Now with over 20 books published she hasn’t looked back.

Apart from writing Nicole is busy looking after her very own hero – her wonderfully supportive husband, and two fabulous kids. She also enjoys watching sports and, of course, reading.
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