Spotlight & Giveaway: Paramedic’s One Night Baby Bombshell by Amy Ruttan

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Amy Ruttan to HJ!

Hi Amy and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Paramedic’s One Night Baby Bombshell!

 
Hi! Thank you so much for having me here. I love Harlequin Junkie.
 

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

This book was so much fun to write. I love being able to set my books in Canada and I decided to write one set in a bucket list province, Newfoundland and in particular Fogo Island. My heroine Dr. Josephine York is a widow and she needs a break from Toronto. She takes a temporary job on Fogo Island and has an uncharacteristic one night stand with the hero, who she thought was just passing through. She ends up pregnant and then realizes that the dreamy stranger is a Fogo Island Native and the local paramedic. My hero is a broody paramedic, who also thought Jo was a stranger passing through town, is shocked to find out his one night stand is staying in Fogo.
 

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

“Where are we going?” she asked, following him.
“To a shed party.”
She stopped. “Are we invited?”
Henrik chuckled. “It’s not like that. This is a public one. It’s put on for tourists, and even though you’re technically not one, you’re still not from here, and I think that everyone should experience a proper shed party once in their life.”
Josephine worried her bottom lip. “As long as I don’t have to kiss anything.”
“I promise, no kissing cod or anything else.” ”

You’ll understand her trepidation about “kissing things” when you read the excerpt!

What inspired this book?

I have always wanted to go to Newfoundland. I love the culture and I have a lot of friends from Newfoundland, so I knew I had to set a book there. Fogo Island also has their own amazing tight knit culture and history, I knew it was the perfect place to set the book. After that, Henrik and Josephine just walked fully formed into my head.

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

My characters surprised me by walking completely fully formed into my head. That doesn’t always happen. Once I visualized them, they were there and they were talking to me. They were so much fun to write.

What was your favorite scene to write?

One of my favourite scenes was a “shed” party. I loved writing that, I could almost hear the music and I added a little Easter Egg in there from one of my previously published medicals. A certain character who was in my debut and then had his own book shows up.

What was the most difficult scene to write?

I always hate writing the climax. The moment that you’re not sure the characters are going to get their happily ever after. I am all about happily ever afters and that moment is never my favourite to write.

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

This is a book I loved writing. It’s me, bits of Canada, humour, love. It was an easy book to write. Some books are harder to write and take some time to come out of my head, but this one just exploded out of me.

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

That you can believe in second chances at love and family. That family isn’t always blood and I hope people want to visit Newfoundland! I certainly still do.

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

I currently just turned in my 36th book for Harlequin Medicals. My next release is my 35th and it’s titled Winning the Neonatal Doc’s Heart. It’s set in Canada again in the Northwest Territories.
I also have a short coming out in an anthology that’s coming out in February 2023 titled Tell Me No Lies.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: Paperback copy of Paramedic’s One Night Baby Bombshell and a small swag pack! Open Internationally.

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Have you ever participated in a local custom? Have you ever been to Newfoundland or Fogo Island?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from Paramedic’s One Night Baby Bombshell:

The stranger slid a barstool closer, his eyebrow cocking. “You’ve seriously never heard of screech?”
“No. Is it like moonshine?” she asked.
His eyes widened, and then he smiled. “No, but maybe it has a similar kick. It’s rum—untempered rum. It’s from the days we would trade salted fish to Jamaica in exchange for rum. Those who first started drinking it didn’t mind its potency.”
“I don’t mind rum.”
There was a mischievous look in his eyes. “I’m thinking that you would be minding this.”
Jo had never been one to back down from a challenge, and if she was going to fit in here, she might as well get used to some of the local flair. Not that she was sure that flair was the right word, but untempered rum sounded a bit reckless, even though in her college days she could drink anyone she wanted to under the table.
At least she wasn’t on duty yet.
Maybe tonight was the night she became an honorary screecher.
“I think I can handle it, but first… I’d like to know your name. I don’t usually drink with strangers in an unfamiliar bar.”
He held out his hand. “Henrik.”
She took his large, strong hand in hers.
The simple touch sent a ripple of electric heat through her, a rush of endorphins that were most welcome.
And in that one instant she pictured what it would be like to have those hands on her body.
Touching her.
Waking her up from her fog.
“My name is Josephine.” Strangers got the long version of her name. Only those close to her called her Jo.
Henrik turned to the barkeep. “Lloyd, our friend from Toronto wants to try a fine glass of screech!”
The music stopped, and Jo’s eyes widened as a bunch of people in the pub turned around in their seats to eye her in fascination and amusement.
Lloyd was grinning as he pulled out a bottle and poured her a glass. “This is the finest I have, miss.”
Usually she corrected the person and told them her title was Doctor, but tonight she just wanted to be a stranger.
To observe.
The townsfolk would learn soon enough who she was. She didn’t want questions tonight. Especially since all eyes were on her, and she was about to guzzle down a shot of untempered rum.
Jo held the shot glass up.
“Wait!” someone shouted. “If she be from the mainland, then she needs to be screeched in.”
Henrik was chuckling, and Jo was now getting a bit nervous.
“Pardon?” she asked, clearing her throat. “I need to be what?”
“You need to be screeched in, lass,” Lloyd stated. “Does anyone have a cod?”
There were a lot of loud voices and some discussion, and Jo felt bewildered as she looked at Henrik. “Cod?”
He nodded. “You have to kiss a cod and swear an oath. If you’re not from here, then it’s the rules. I was trying to spare you, but since Lloyd’s already announced it, I think you’re kind of stuck.”
“You can’t be serious about kissing a fish?” Jo asked, laughing nervously as she watched Lloyd digging around in a freezer.
Henrik shrugged. “It’s tradition.”
“Aha! She ain’t fresh, but she’ll do!” Lloyd held up a massive frozen bug-eyed whole cod, much to the entertainment of the patrons.
A knot was forming in the pit of Jo’s stomach. A shot of alcohol was not worth this.
Henrik, as if sensing her trepidation leaned over and whispered in her ear. “You can’t“back out now. Would be an insult to do so.”
You wanted to fit in, Josephine. This is how you do it.
The last thing she wanted to do was insult potential patients.
It wouldn’t hurt to kiss a freaking cod.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Can an unexpected baby…

…heal two broken hearts?

Widow Dr. Jo York seizes the chance to escape to a small island town. That’s adventurous enough, but her uncharacteristic one-night stand with gorgeous paramedic Henrik exceeds expectations! And so do the consequences… Jo has always dreamed of being a mother, but never thought she’d have children. If discovering she’s pregnant rocks her well-ordered world, what will it do to guarded, no-strings Henrik when she tells him, I’m pregnant. And the baby’s yours…?

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Meet the Author:

Born and raised just outside of Toronto, Ontario, Amy fled the big city to settle down with the country boy of her dreams. After the birth of her second child, Amy was lucky enough to realize her life long dream of becoming a romance author. When she’s not furiously typing away at her computer, she’s a mom to three wonderful children who use her as a personal taxi and chef.
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