Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Tracy Solheim to HJ!
Hi Tracy and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Second Chance Christmas!
Thank you for hosting me! It’s always a pleasure to share book insights with your readers.
Please summarize the book for the readers here:
Who doesn’t love a cozy Christmas in a small town? Well, Ryan McAlister for one. He left his hometown of Chances Inlet, North Carolina, in the rearview mirror years ago. Too bad his siblings keep moving back there. Now, with the holidays upon him, and, after, one too many mishaps with the media that threaten the remainder of his contract, Ryan has no place to hide out but his mother’s B & B. He’s not sure how he’ll survive the month until he runs into his older sister’s widowed best friend and her adorable son.
Jane Sheffield can’t imagine spending Christmas anywhere else but Chances Inlet. A job opportunity elsewhere may mean this is her last holiday season in her adopted hometown, however. So, she’s determined that she and her son will enjoy every minute of it while at the same time convincing Ryan that being home for the holidays isn’t so bad, after all. What she doesn’t count on is discovering that the place she most wants to spend Christmas, now and forever, is in Ryan’s arms.
Please share your favorite line(s) or quote from this book:
“The prize doesn’t matter. The only thing that counts in my family is winning.”
(Author’s note: The McAlisters are a lot like the Bridgertons when it comes to games. )
Please share a few Fun facts about this book…
Food plays an integral part in holiday celebrations and I’m not gonna lie to you, there are a LOT of references to food in this book! So much so, that my beta readers complained of gaining a few pounds while reading their advanced copies. But, hey, what’s a book about Christmas without a few mentions about cookies, eggnog, candy, hot cocoa—well, you get the idea. Several advanced readers wrote to ask if I wouldn’t mind sharing my recipes. And that’s how the Chances Inlet Cookbook was born. If you want to enjoy Ida Kosten’s sugar cookies (she really exists and her cookies are famous among my neighbors) or Patricia’s homemade eggnog (my Aunt MaryAnn’s recipe—drink it SLOOOWWLY) the cookbook is free to my newsletter subscribers. I’ve also included recipes for the Christmas-themed martinis Patricia served during Ginger and Lori’s bachelorette party. My book club took one for the team and sampled all those drinks for you. You’re welcome!
What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?
Ryan and Jane aren’t strangers. They met more than a decade earlier when she tutored him in math. Back then, he had a crush on his older sister’s best friend, while she thought he was a wise-cracking athlete with a smile that would always get him out of trouble. Fast forward fourteen years and the two have collected a few scars along their journey back to Chances Inlet. But those experiences have shaped them into people very different from the stereotypical jock and brain the rest of town sees them as. Not only that, but the sexual attraction between them is immediate and fierce. Jane knows there is so much more beneath the mask Ryan presents to not only the public but his family. Ryan wants Jane to stop putting her son first, for once, and think about her own needs. And he’s got plenty of ideas for how to do that!
Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?
Writing sex scenes always makes me blush, and Ryan and Jane’s scenes were no exception.
“For someone who’s in a hurry to end her long sexual dearth, you sure are putting up a lot of roadblocks, Janey,” he teased.
“I don’t want you to turn on the light,” she repeated, slapping his hand away from the lamp beside the bed.
He chuckled because he knew he was going to win in the end. The light from the hallway illuminated their naked bodies on top of the bed they hadn’t even bothered to turn down. But Ryan wanted more. He wanted all of his senses to have a front-row seat to the glorious curves and porcelain skin his hands and mouth were currently exploring in the semi-darkness.
“Why not?” he murmured against the tender area beneath her breast.
“Because . . .” Her breath caught when he flicked his tongue over her nipple.
“I thought we talked about being more specific.” He moved over to give her other breast equal time.
She dug her fingers into the comforter, but the move did nothing to ease the writhing of her hips.
“Because,” she cried out. “Because I’m-I’m old. And you’re used to young and-and, perfect.”
Ryan swore viciously, causing Jane to shudder beneath him. All these months, he’d allowed the media and everyone else to draw conclusions about his private life, never bothering to dispute them. Figuring he didn’t care what other people thought.
He’d figured wrong.
He crawled back up her body and flicked on the lamp with a look that dared her to defy him. Pushing up on his forearms, he stared down into her beautiful but now wary face. He reached a finger over to smooth out the worry lines creasing her brow.
“Listen carefully Doctor Jane Upton Sheffield. You are perfect. You’re smart. Kind. An amazing mom. A great friend. As a matter of fact, anyone who puts up with my sister Kate must be a saint.” He kissed the tip of her nose.
Readers should read this book….
Readers who love big families, small towns, and holiday traditions will enjoy this book. Not to mention, fans of sports romance. Second Chance Christmas is written as a standalone, but readers of the first two books in the series will enjoy catching up with the characters from the previous installments and celebrating their HEA’s.
What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?
I’m alternating between this series and my football series, so it’s back to the locker room for me where I’m writing the second book featuring the Milwaukee Growlers. This one features the team’s prankster, Luke Kessler. Life is all fun and games for the wide receiver until he crosses paths with the prissy, straightlaced, Summer Ashford. After an embarrassing incident involving Summer goes viral, she is doing her best to fly under the radar. The last thing she needs to do is become involved with the devil-may-care jock. But fate keeps throwing them together in the most ridiculous of ways!
Thanks for blogging at HJ!
Giveaway: One random winner will receive a signed print copy of Second Chance Christmas and an ornament. (US, only. If the winner is international they will receive a digital copy of the book.)
To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: If you had a second chance to spend the holidays with someone from your past, who would it be?
Excerpt from Second Chance Christmas:
According to the Santa handbook, Santa impersonators should never, ever, promise a child a pet. Too bad Ryan didn’t read the handbook before being pressed into service as Kris Kringle for his mother’s annual breakfast with Santa.
“Jane, wait.”
At the sound of his voice, she quickened her pace. Ryan swore softly, jogging around a family sipping hot chocolate outside the Java Jolt.
“Please.”
Her shoulders slumped, but she slowed her gait. Ryan breathed out a sigh of relief when he fell into step beside her.
“I apologize for coming at you back there,” she surprised the hell out of him by saying. “I was just . . . caught off guard, that’s all.” She swallowed roughly. “I try not to be one of those helicopter parents, but since I’m Henry’s only parent, I have to be more aware of what’s going on in his life, you know?” She sighed again. “Henry has been acting strangely lately, and I have no idea why. I should have seen the puppy thing coming, though. Now I’m worried about whatever else I’ve missed.”
Hell.
Ryan gently cupped her shoulder with his fingers and guided her toward a bench beneath the old live oak that had been standing sentry over the town’s Civil War cannon for more than a hundred years. Patio lights—when had those been strung up there, he wondered—dangled between the tree and the gazebo beside it, their soft white glow giving the area a festive atmosphere.
She let out a ragged sigh when she plopped down on the bench. Ryan sat down beside her. Resting his elbows on his knees, he dragged his fingers through his hair.
“Look, the puppy idea wasn’t exactly Henry’s,” he admitted.
Jane stilled beside him. Slowly, she pivoted her chin toward him. “What?”
He sighed. “What I meant to say was, it wasn’t what Henry originally asked for. The puppy, I mean.”
She blinked several times. “I’m not following you.”
Ryan silently cussed out his mother for putting him in this spot. His father, too, for dying and leaving the Santa duties to a damn idiot who couldn’t play a simple game of golf without injuring himself. Somehow, he knew Jane was going to be hurt by what he was about to tell her. He hated that he was the one having to inflict that pain. But since Henry had confided in him, Ryan didn’t have a choice. He sucked in a breath and ripped off the band-aid.
“When I asked Henry what he wanted, he said he wasn’t going to bother asking for anything because Santa didn’t bring him what he wanted last year.”
The color drained from Jane’s face making it appear starker in the moonlight. “That’s not true. He asked for five things. David gave me the list. I made sure all of them were underneath the tree.”
Ryan rubbed his palms along his thighs. “Well, I think that Santa impersonator might have been trying to spare your feelings by leaving something out.”
“Spare my feelings?” Jane lifted her hands in front of her, turning her palms to the sky. “What in heaven’s name are you talking about?”
“A dad,” Ryan blurted out. “Henry asked for a dad.”
Jane’s face blanched even further. She gulped in a few breaths.
“I—he—I—” she stammered.
Ryan clenched his fingers into fists to keep from reaching out and wrapping her in his arms. Had she been one of his sisters, he wouldn’t have hesitated. But this was Jane. And they weren’t playing a game any longer. Later, he’d do a deep dive as to why he couldn’t seem to resist touching her. Right now, he needed to reassure her about her kid. “He’s six years old. There’s no making sense of it.”
“But he’s never said anything. Scott died when he was a baby. It’s always just been Henry and me. I thought—I thought I was enough. I never dreamed—”
“Whoa! That’s not it at all.” This time, Ryan couldn’t help himself. He put his hands on her shoulders and turned her body so she faced him. “You are enough, Jane. You are more than enough. That little kid adores you. He was asking for a dad for you, not him.”
She did that blinking thing again, only this time, her eyes were a bit shiny. “A dad for me? I already have a dad.”
His chuckle was more from nerves than amusement. “I think ‘dad’ is a euphemism for, you know, a partner. Boyfriend. Husband.” Ryan shrugged. “He said he didn’t want you to be lonely.”
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
Book Info:
Chances Inlet is the home of second chances. Too bad not everyone wants one. Not even for Christmas . . .
Chances Inlet, North Carolina is the last place major leaguer Ryan McAlister wants to hide from the media to rest up his broken hand. He left his gossipy, Christmas-obsessed hometown in the dust over a decade ago. When he gets caught up in the town’s holiday antics, he finds himself responsible for making a little boy’s Christmas wish come true. The kid’s widowed mother, however—a blast from Ryan’s past—just might make his stay a bit more exciting.
Physical therapist Jane Sheffield loves her hometown. Especially at Christmastime. Since this may be her last in Chances Inlet, she’s determined to make the most of it with her young son. But after her childcare falls apart, she gets more than she bargained for when her best friend’s younger brother volunteers to help out. The rebellious teen she tutored in high school has grown up into a sexy charmer and so much more than the pretty face he pretends to be.
Can a stray dog, the Ghost of Christmas past, and a host of meddling townsfolk muster up enough Christmas spirit to convince Ryan and Jane to give their hometown—and each other–a second chance?
This book is the third book in a family saga but can be read as a standalone.
Chances Inlet Series:
Book 1: Back to Before
Book 2: All They Ever Wanted
Book 3: Second Chance Christmas
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | kobo | Google |
Meet the Author:
USA Today bestselling author Tracy Solheim writes books with shirtless men on the cover. Some of them are actually bestsellers. The books, not the men. When she’s not writing, she’s practicing her curling. . . .bottles of wine, that is. She’s been known to cook dinner but no more than two nights in a row. Most days, she’d rather be reading, which to her is just necessary research. She lives in the suburbs of Atlanta with her husband and a neurotic Labrador retriever. Her two adult children visit but not often enough. (See the note above about cooking.)
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Leeza Stetson
The only person I’ve ever wanted to spend the holidays with is the man who is now my husband. I love you read about second chances, but I only needed one.
EC
It would be a person who had passed away. Someone who has a link with me.
Debra Guyette
I think my father I do not remember any of the ones before he left.
Karina Angeles
My paternal grandma. She always got the family together for Christmas. ALL my aunts and uncles on my dad’s side (with their significant other and their kids) would be at her house. My dad has 7 brothers and sisters, so there were so many people! My grandma made sure everyone got along and there was no fighting. Just good times and good food. She was a force to be reckoned with. Since she’s past, we haven’t gotten together. I miss those times.
Janine
There are quite a few do-overs that I would like. But I never had a Christmas with my father, so I think I would like that.
hartfiction
I spend it with my mother who died when I was a teen.
Amy Donahue
Definitely my Nana. She died almost 5 years ago and I miss her 🙁
Lori Byrd
My 2 daughters who passed away.
Audrey Stewart
I would give anything to have my Mom back for one more Christmas.
Jennifer Shiflett
My grandfather, who passed away when I was 6 months old.
Lori R
I would choose my mom who just died. Her funeral is today.
Pat Lieberman
I have this book on my wishlist. Thanks for offering it.
dodgerfannnat
My dear relatives who are not longer with us, especially my MOM. I miss her so much.
Glenda M
My maternal grandfather. He died when I was very young. Actually I’d love for my kids to meet all of my grandparents.
Pamela Conway
I would love to have my Dad, my brother, grandmother, my friend Janet & all my dogs back for one day.
Barbara Bates
My Parents.
Rita Wray
My parents.
LauraJJ
For me it would be my grandparents! Such beautiful memories of growing up…would love to have it one more time!
Doris Lankford
If I could spend a Holiday with someone again it would be my sister. She passed away in 2012 and I miss her every day. She was my best friend.
Kathleen O
My mom and dad. Christmas is just not the same without them.
Laurie Gommermann
My great-aunt Anna. She was a special lady so loving and forgiving. I spent a lot of time with her over the years. She died right before my wedding. I’m so glad she met my future husband. She lost her fiancé in the war. Never married. She loved to read. She made me treat boxes and a meal whenever I came home from college. I treasure her hope chest and her engagement ring. I was blessed to have her in my life. I think of her often.
Susan
It would be my Dad. Missed too many Christmases with him.
lasvegasnan
No one comes to mind at the moment.
flchen1
My maternal grandmother—would love more time with her!
SusieQ
My parent, who both passed away relatively young.
Amy R
grandparents
courtney kinder
My maternal grandmother. She died when I was 13.
susan
My grandmother.
bn100
n/a
Kathleen Bylsma
My late husband…he so loved the holidays..he gave me joy
rkcjmomma
My late grandma i miss her so much especially during the holidays!!
Mary C.
My BF Pat.
Teresa Williams
My son ,mother ,grandmother ,step mother and granddaddy.
Merry
I would love to spend the holidays with my sister who passed away.
dholcomb1
I’d spend it with my Tennessee grandparents
Katrina Dehart
My mom who I lost a couple years ago
Johanna Owen
I would choose my Late husband who died in a car accident 40 years ago
Diana Hardt
My maternal grandparents. My grandfather died when I was 13, and my grandmother died almost 20 years ago.
Ellen C.
Many relatives who have passed on. My Dad, my in-laws, grandparents, etc.
Kim
Without a question, my dad.
Jeanna Massman
My sister passed away 6 years ago. I would love to celebrate Christmas with her one more time!
Banana cake
My grandmother
Bonnie
My parents
Cheryl Hastings
My grandparents
anna nguyen
my old friend from high school
Tina R
My mom. She loved the holidays. I’d love to see her and experience her enjoyment of the season one more time.
Daniel M
my dad died last year
Colleen C.
My grandma
Charlotte Litton
My parents
Stacey A Smith
I would be my grandma I miss her.
Cassandra D
I would say my cousin.
Linda Herold
My daughter.
Terrill R.
It would be my mom. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and she went all out with gifts, wrapping and such. In fact, her gift-wrapping was often better than the gift inside. I would love to spend one more Christmas holiday with her.