Spotlight & Giveaway: The Hometown Dilemma by Julie Archer

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Julie Archer to HJ!

Hi Julie and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Hometown Dilemma!

 
Hello there! Thank you for having me over to talk about The Hometown Dilemma.
 

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

The Hometown Dilemma is the seventh book in the Meet Cute Book Club series and is a return to hometown romance. My heroine leaves her job in New York to come back home and start her own company – or so she thinks. A series of events cause her to rethink her plans and her old friend from college offers her a job in his bar to tide her over. One thing leads to another…and you can guess the rest!
 

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

“I’m not looking to date anyone right now,” I declared. “I plan to focus on my career. I want to apply to Interior Nirvana, get some clients of my own, expand my portfolio…”
“And that’s exactly the time that someone drops into your life when you weren’t expecting them.” Cami stuck a nacho loaded with chili into her mouth.
How had my little sister become the wise one?
The front door opened, and Cami’s head swiveled to see who came in. Knowing she’d been expecting the college football team, I didn’t bother turning around.
“Shit,” she breathed. “Wade’s here.”

What inspired this book?

This is always a tricky question! The original idea for The Hometown Dilemma was very different to the finished product, so I noodled on a few plotlines before this one just clicked.

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

Oh, Wade was a surprise all right! I hadn’t expected him to be quite – ahem – so hot in the bedroom, that came out of nowhere, no pun intended! I always knew Jaime was going to be a career driven woman, right until that one night where the spark between her and Wade changed everything.

What was your favorite scene to write?

I love writing the more angsty stuff, so the New York scenes (I can’t share too much because there are spoilers!) were my favourite.

But here’s a little snippet…

“I didn’t like those people. And I didn’t like the person you became around them.”
She settled on one of the high stools, hooking her heels around the bar at the bottom. “What do you mean by that?”
“It’s fake, Jaime. All that ass-kissing, and for what? The long shot of a twenty grand a year job? You’re worth so much more than that.” I had no idea how much designers made, throwing out the first number that came into my head.
“Oh, am I? The way you’re acting doesn’t seem like it,” she huffed, crossing her arms over her chest and pushing her tits up even further in her scoop neck dress. I loved it when she did that, but now any thoughts of fucking her had gone right out of my head.
“Let me explain.”
“Please do. Because you’re not making any sense.”
I sat on the stool on the opposite side of the table and looked over at her. “With those people tonight, it’s like you were acting, putting on a front, trying to show a version of you that comes across as fake. When we’re working together, you come alive with the customers, showing the real you.”

What was the most difficult scene to write?

The ones towards the end, where I wanted to bring them back together without being too much of a cliché. Again, no spoilers, but here’s a taster…

Wade leaned forward and met my lips with his. I could taste the salt from my tears in our kiss. A kiss that could be our last. I closed my eyes, wanting to savor this moment as long as I could. He pulled back and I sensed him get up to leave. I couldn’t bear to watch him go and threw an arm up over my face.
“You have to make this decision on your own, Jaime. Let me know as soon as you do.”
I heard the door slam shut as he left, my heart shattering into tiny shards.
What a decision to have to make.

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

The Hometown Dilemma is definitely a good showcase for my writing style, small town – American this time rather than British – with a good cast of supporting characters who are trying their best not to steal Jaime and Wade’s thunder!

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

That whatever your plans may be, the unexpected can be better than you ever imagined.

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

I’m currently working on a standalone British small town angsty romance with a summer fling to forever, opposites attract, some grumpy/sunshine and darker elements than The Hometown Dilemma.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: $10/£10 Amazon Gift Card

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Excerpt from The Hometown Dilemma:

Shortly after nine, my buddy Austen Jenkins came in and I was grateful for his company.
“What’s it gonna be, son?” Dad stepped in, gently pushing me aside this time. “Wade, why don’t you take a break and sit with your friend for a bit? I can pick up the slack.”
Given how quiet it had been in the past hour, there wasn’t a great deal of slack to be picked up, but I sensed he didn’t want an argument. And to be honest, neither did I.
“Thanks, Dad. I’ll take a beer.”
“Same for me. Thanks Lloyd,” said Austen.
Dad popped a couple of bottles and handed them over to us. We went to sit at one of the tables near the back, almost out of sight. Personally though, I always thought it was never a good look for the owner to be seen slacking off.
“How’s your day been?” I asked Austen.
He loosened his tie, swigging from his beer. “Getting busy, buddy. Been working my ass off this past week.”
Austen was in real estate and worked for one of Abbott Ridge’s most popular brokerages. His office had a steady stream of properties, and he sometimes covered the exclusive listings for the larger houses on the outskirts of town. If he hadn’t been my best friend, I would have been jealous of his success and the sometimes outrageous commissions he received. But I knew he worked hard for it, and I didn’t begrudge him for that.
“It also doesn’t hurt that one of my new clients is absolutely smoking. Especially for an older woman.” Austen fashioned a chef’s kiss. “But she’s also the fussiest person I’ve ever met. She wants her house staged before we list it and I have no idea where to start with that.” He shrugged.
“Aren’t there people who do that? Cami used to make me watch those reality programs about selling houses and there was always someone who turned a sterile looking place into a cozy family home. You know, put a few cushions on a sofa and a vase on a mantle,” I mused.
“Yeah, true. Maybe I need to look for someone.”
“If it’s gonna get you the commission, then…?”
“Don’t know why I don’t always come to you for career advice.” Austen grinned. “What’s been going on with you?”
Wondering where to start, I swigged some of my beer. “Working out how the fuck to staff this place. One of the new guys has decided The Fall Line is more attractive.”
Austen held out his left hand. “Rustic bar and diner.” Then his right. “Fancy restaurant based in a vineyard. Honestly, can’t see the difference.”
“Fuck off,” I growled. Sure, the two places were poles apart, but there was a place in Abbott Ridge for us both.
“Wondered if your dad was going to be here tonight,” he said, glancing over the bar.
“If I had my way, he wouldn’t be here any other night. He’s supposed to be taking a step back.” I traced the wet ring on the table that my beer bottle had left. “But I really need some ideas to get more customers in. Younger people.”
“Why don’t you try showing sports? Attract some of the college jocks and give the bar at the other end of town some competition.” Austen pointed up at the TV screen, which was currently switched off.
“Yeah, thought of that, but Dad’s not keen to pay for all the channels we’d need.” It was a discussion we’d had on many occasions.
“Live music?” suggested Austen.
“Maybe. We’d have to apply for a license though.”
“Who’s running the bar now? You or your dad? Because is it really his decision?” Austen voiced the things I’d already been thinking.
But try as I might, I couldn’t bring myself to put my foot down. Sometimes I wished he’d back off completely and let me run the bar as I saw fit.
“Nothing’s going to change for the time being, at least here anyway.” I hefted a sigh. “But I did get this sorted out today.” I shrugged off the left sleeve of the flannel shirt I wore over my black t-shirt and peeled the film off my latest tattoo. “No more Cami.”
Austen peered at the new ink, then screwed up his face. “Yeah, sorry ‘bout that. Didn’t think you’d actually go ahead with the dare.”
“Kinda wish I hadn’t so maybe you’d like to pay for the damage?” I grinned. It was worth a shot.
“If I can sell that house, you got it,” he agreed, clinking his bottle against mine. “Wish I knew someone who did that staging stuff.” He frowned. “Wait, doesn’t Cami’s sister do something similar?”
I hadn’t seen Jaime in ages, certainly not since I’d gotten together with, and subsequently split from, Cami. We’d been buddies back in college when she’d worked at the bar, and we’d always gotten on well. “Yeah, I think so. But she lives in New York so unless she can give you a virtual consultation, that’s out.”
“Shit, yeah. Shame you’re not on great terms with Cami right now, otherwise I’d get you to ask her.”
“Sorry. I’m sure you’ll think of something though.”
Inadvertently, Jamie Harlow was going to come to my rescue – only I didn’t know it yet.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Jaime
Who says you can’t go home?
Coming back to Abbott Ridge and starting over was my plan. But, just like everything in life, plans change. Especially when the interior design reality tv show I dreamed of taking part in gets canceled before filming even begins. Now I’m stuck without a job and forced to rethink how I’ll start my own company.
Insert Wade Dempsey.
Owner of Dempsey’s bar, and one of my closest friends from college. He immediately offers me a temporary job working with him, like old times.
It’s an offer I can’t refuse. Oh, and did I mention that my new boss is even sexier than I remember?
Things between us are going great…until a call from New York presents me with a new offer that has me second guessing my stay in Abbott Ridge.

Wade
Home is where the heart is.
I’ve spent my whole life in Abbott Ridge, running in and out of my family’s bar until I was finally old enough to take over. Now I’m in charge, but it’s a struggle to keep the place from going under. I need fresh ideas to compete with all the fancy bars and clubs popping up downtown.
Insert, Jaime Harlow.
Having Jaime back behind my bar seems like a good place to start. She’s an inspiration and a breath of fresh air, in more ways than one.
Old times, new feelings – and one stormy night – are all we need to ignite the desires I never realized existed.
When New York calls for Jaime and the only future I’ve known goes up in flames, we find ourselves faced with a huge dilemma that threatens our new found relationship. Can we really make this work when right now it feels like we can’t even see eye to eye? There’s only one way to find out.

The Hometown Dilemma is a standalone, return to hometown romance that is part of the multi-author series, Meet Cute Book Club. Escape with this swoon-worthy collection of romances where meet-cutes don’t only happen between the pages of romance novels and members find their own happily ever afters.

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Meet the Author:

Author of contemporary romance featuring rock stars, small towns, a healthy dose of angst, some steamy times and always a happy ever after!

When not writing, I can usually be found binge watching teen drama series on Netflix, or supporting Spurs from my armchair, and running around after my two feline children, Corey and Elsa.

Real Angst. Real Romance.
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