Spotlight & Giveaway: The Mayor’s Baby Surprise by Anna J Stewart

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Anna J Stewart to HJ!

Hi Anna and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Mayor’s Baby Surprise!

 
Thanks so much! I love spending time here at Harlequin Junkies!
 

Please summarize the book a la Twitter style for the readers here:

Butterfly Harbor mayor Gil Hamilton has his hands full trying to keep his job and survive a recall election, but when he finds a six month old baby boy on his doorstep, there’s only one person who can help, family attorney Leah Ellis: his political opponent!
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

“I’M COMING, I’M COMING.” Gil Hamilton muttered his way along the hall, resisting the urge to turn on the light as he tugged on a T-shirt and headed downstairs. It was barely five o’clock, and given someone’s propensity to start his day off on the completely wrong foot, he could only hope this wasn’t a sign of the hours to come.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• THE MAYOR’S BABY SURPRISE is book 12 in the Butterfly Harbor series. It’s always the last. I’ve known since book one that Gil would be the final hero to get his HEA. I had to make certain he earned it!
• The character of Leah Ellis was originally going to be paired off with Monty Bettencourt (the hero in BRIDE ON THE RUN). But when I put them on the page when writing A MATCH MADE PERFECT, I realized they didn’t have the necessary chemistry. But she definitely had it with Gil.
• The final line of the book, of the series, actually, came to me just as I started writing chapter one. I had to stop and write it down and it made me cry even then. Goodbyes are hard.
• Every single couple from previous Butterfly Harbor books are either on the page or are mentioned. Lots of wrapping up. And lots of reappearances from secondary characters in this story.
• One of my favorite scenes in the book takes place at a community Halloween party up at Calliope’s farm. It took me forever to figure out everyone’s costumes and different games for them all to play.

What first attracts your Hero to the Heroine and vice versa?

This is a definite enemies to lovers trope story, so there was a lot to have to dig through to get through the attraction.

For Leah, I think the sight of Gil caring for little Eli goes a long way in breaking down those preconceptions and misconceptions she has of him. And, well, who doesn’t love seeing a hero fall head over heels for a teeny tiny baby!

Gil takes a little longer to warm to the idea of being more than friends with Leah. He has to be a bit more on guard because she’s literally trying to push him out of his job, right when he really needs stability the most. But again, I think it’s Eli that gets that spark to ignite once Gil realizes what’s possible between him and Leah.
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe Hero and Heroine’s love affair?

Intense. Contentious. Hilarious. Endearing. Heartwarming.
 

The First Kiss…

“And now we know how to win you over.” He put his hand on her arm.

“There’s just one thing…” He trailed off, lifted his free hand and tucked her hair behind her ear. She shivered against his touch, the barest, softest touch of his skin against hers. She watched, her breath caught in her chest, as he leaned toward her and pressed his mouth to hers.

It was, Leah thought as her mind emptied and her system jolted, quite possibly the most perfect kiss she’d ever experienced. Gentle, coaxing, teasing and utterly, completely divine. She’d always believed kissing had been overrated but clearly she hadn’t been presented with the right partner. A partner who had her taking a step closer, rising up on her toes and kissing him back.

An excited squeal broke them apart and for a moment, they stood there, staring wide-eyed at each other even as their lips twitched.

“I’m going to take that as a squeal of approval,” Gil said. Eli reached up and grabbed hold of Leah’s hair. She laughed, bent down and pressed a kiss to the baby’s forehead. “You
little matchmaker.”

“Bah! Gah ba ba ba!” Eli finished his response with a big wet raspberry.

Without revealing too much, what is your favorite scene in the book?

I have a number of them actually, but I think my favorite is when Leah first discovers Gil’s dealing with an abandoned infant. It’s literally the last thing she ever expects him to accept responsibility for and take seriously, so it’s the first time she’s really seeing him in a way she hasn’t allowed herself to before.

“What’s what?” He blinked over wide eyes at her and clung to the edge of the door, keeping any clear view into the house obscured.

“You know what. It sounds like…” She stepped forward and he moved in front of her. “Is that a baby?”

“I apologize for being absent, Leah, but this isn’t any of your business.” The plea in his eyes had her frowning. “I’ll be back in the office in a few days. I’m just dealing with a—” The screech that erupted behind him had both of them wincing.

“Gil.” It may have been the first time she’d used his name, rather than his title. They’d butted heads so often, it was easier to call him Mayor Hamilton, just to make certain he understood how she saw him. But those dark circles under his eyes, the exhaustion within them… His clothes looked about as anxious to sag to the floor as he did, and behind it all, the crying continued.

“What’s going on?” She inclined her head, evaluating her options. But only one thing kept popping into her mind.

Gil Hamilton did not have, at least to her knowledge, any children.

“It’s a bit of a family crisis.” The words didn’t seem to strike her as completely truthful. “I’ll be back on top of things in a while. I just have some figuring out to do.”

“I don’t think you can figure out anything with all this crying. Let me come in.”

He swallowed so hard she could see his throat constrict. Confusion and doubt had his expression flickering like his system had short-circuited. Instead of arguing, he took a step back and waved her inside.

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would be absolutely crucial to include?

It’s another of my favorites. Gil’s been called into the office to deal with the Cocoon Club (a group of town senior citizens), but he’s not used to having a baby with him. Leah, as the club’s legal representative, also needs to attend and they arrive at the same time. And she’s just in time to help Gil deal with some of the more interesting aspects of baby-care. I think the chemistry among the three of them is front and center of this scene.

Gil walked around his car and popped open the trunk, dug inside the boxes for the baby carrier Luke had mentioned. He held up the navy blue fabric comprised of straps and cloth. “Reminds me of some weird geometry project from school. Let’s see how this thing works.” He opened Eli’s door, let the fresh air waft in as he twisted the material this way and that, tugging it over
his head, then off, turned it around…

He glanced up as Leah pulled into the space beside his. Caught with his arm half out of the straps, his face went hot, but the faster he tried to extricate himself from it, the worse he got tangled.

“Hang on, Mr. Mayor.” Leah pushed out of her car. “Let me give you a hand.”

Gil let out a breath he hadn’t realized he’d been holding. Something about seeing her made the tension in his shoulders ease. “What are you doing here?”

“I have a special Cocoon Club alert on my phone,” she said dryly. “Stop twisting around. Just…stop.” She placed her hands on his shoulders and looked up at him. The surprise that jumped into her blue eyes vanished when she ducked her head and unclipped the straps to pull the carrier free.

Gil could smell flowers. Summery flowers that reminded him of Duskywing Farm at the height of the season. Lilacs, he thought. Maybe it was lilacs or… He’d never been great with flowers.

She wore a gray suit today with a shimmery silver button-down blouse and heels so thin and high they defied the laws of physics. Around her neck sat the solitary gold charm she always wore, a small scale of justice resting against the hollow of her throat. “Okay, you’re free.” She stepped back and, after un-clicking a few buckles, turned him around and locked the carrier into
place. “Now all you need is the baby. You got him?”

“I’ve got him.” Gil was getting pretty adept at baby handling, and he and Eli had a kind of routine where Gil would dangle him up in the air just for a minute to let his arms and legs relax. Eli gurgled and squealed as Eli brought him toward his chest.

“Ah, nope. Other way.” Leah plucked Eli out of his hold and handed him back. “He’s old enough to need a view. Not that your chest isn’t a…” She trailed off, her cheeks going an unfamiliar yet entertaining shade of pink.

Gil grinned. Who knew he could make Leah Ellis blush?

Readers should read this book …

This book is for fans of the enemies to lover trope and the single dad trope and the havoc a baby can cause (good and bad). It’s also a story of redemption and healing and forgiveness. And as a small-town romance, the book is filled with all those quirky, eccentric characters and locations that make places like Butterfly Harbor a town people actually want to live in. I know I do!

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

I’ve just turned in the seventh book of my Honor Bound series for Romantic Suspense. I call it my Hangover meets the Bourne Identity, LOL. As this is the last book in the Butterfly Harbor series, next week I’m staring on book 1 of my new Heartwarming series set in Hawai’i. That’ll have six books total (no more 12 books series for me!) but I’ll be building a new “family found” in my fictional town of Nalani, Hawai’i.

In August, the Blackwells are returning with a brand new branch of the family. These Blackwells are in Wyoming and features Big E’s little sister Denny and her five grand-kids. My book, WYOMING PROMISE, is up first in August (followed by books written by Amy Vastine, Carol Ross, Cari Lynn Webb, and Melinda Curtis). And then…

In November. I am SO excited about this new book. EXPOSED, coming out November 15th from CAEZIK Romance, is the first of my Circle of the Red Lily Romantic Suspense series. It’s set in Los Angeles and deals with some of my favorite topics: classic Hollywood, secret societies, murder, and of course romance! While there’s an over-arcing mystery to the five book series, each book features a different couple (the five heroines are best friends who live in the same historic landmark apartment building).

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: 2 Digital sets of the first 6 Butterfly Harbor romances (THE BAD BOY OF BUTTERFLY HARBOR, RECIPE FOR REDEMPTION, A DAD FOR CHARLIE, ALWAYS THE HERO, HOLIDAY KISSES, and SAFE IN HIS ARMS). (2 winners, choice of ePub or Mobi files).

1-$10 Amazon Gift Card (one winner)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: Leaving Butterfly Harbor behind is going to be rough. I’d love to fill the void with some recommended small town reads. What are some of your favorite small-town romances?

 
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Excerpt from The Mayor’s Baby Surprise:

By the time she reached the check-in desk, her feet were screaming almost as loudly as the infant inside the building. “That been going on for long?”

Leah had to raise her voice as Jessie rolled her eyes. “About an hour. I’m ready to wave the white flag and surrender.”

Leah chuckled. “Hang in there.” When she reached Helena’s outer office, she found herself scanning the room for Cocoon Club members, just to be safe. Instead, she saw Helena pry off a pair of noise-cancelling headphones just as Eli let out a screech that could have attracted dogs. “Does he have a minute?”

“He has as many as you need. Go on in.” Helena replaced her headphones and settled back into her typing.

Leah knocked before opening the door, then poked in her head, as if waiting for something inside to explode. “Gil?” She rapped her knuckles on the frame again, saw him turn from his place in front of one of the giant plate-glass windows overlooking the back courtyard. Eli was resting against Gil’s shoulder and howling so hard he was vibrating.

“Leah.” The relief in his voice had that sympathy she’d been feeling for him kicking up a few notches. “He won’t stop. He’s been fussy all morning, but this is…” He shook his head, rubbed a hand against Eli’s back. “He barely drank any of his breakfast. I don’t know what to do. He’s breaking my heart.”

And with the helpless, concerned look on his face, Gil slid right into hers. Gil definitely wasn’t the only one in over his head.

She set her bag down on the sofa and approached, reaching out to check if Eli had a fever. The baby blinked at her, hiccupped a few more times, then quieted, shoving his fist in his mouth and gnawing. Ah.

“Are you serious, little guy?” Gil brought his chin into his chest to look at the baby’s tearstained face. “I offered to buy you a pony and you kept going. All it took was her?” He let out a slow breath. “I should have called you hours ago.”

The idea that Gil thought of her as an infant lifeline had her shifting her gaze away from the mayor. “Sometimes a baby just has to cry.” And it sure looked as if Eli had been having a whopper of a day. She located the diaper bag and dug around inside until she found one of the gel teething rings she’d seen the other day. She held out her arms. “How about I give you a break for a few minutes?”

“That would be great, thanks.” Gil handed off Eli, expertly maneuvering the cloth diaper over Leah’s shoulder as she cuddled the baby close and offered him the ring. The second he had it in his mouth, he began to chew.

Gil’s expression shifted to mild embarrassment. “You’re kidding me.”

“You aren’t a mind reader, Gil.” She swayed back and forth. “And there is a learning curve for parenting. Most people get a good nine months to prepare. You can’t expect to excel at it right out of the gate.”

He was definitely a man drowning in blink-and-I’m-a-parent syndrome.

That said, the office had gotten a serious shift in decor since she’d last been here. He’d moved a lot of the furniture over to one side of the room and arranged a playpen and crib in their place. He’d made a makeshift changing station out of an antique dresser and she wondered how long it would be before he regretted that choice. Put all of it together, however, and it signaled
that Gil really was taking fostering seriously.

Which only added to her growing confusion about the man and whether anyone—herself included—really knew him at all.

“Maybe I can’t excel at parenthood,” Gil said with a bit of envy in his voice. “But it sure seems like you can.” Someone definitely needed a nap, and it wasn’t the baby in her arms.

“Give Sebastian at Cat’s Eye Books a call,” she suggested. “Have him set aside a few books on parenting for you. He’s been reading up on them anyway, since he and Brooke are expecting.”

“They already have Mandy,” Gil frowned. “What does he have to read about? Do things change that much?”

“In sixteen years?” Leah offered a less-than-sympathetic smile. “I think there’s probably some new information to consider.”

“I have to write that down to remember to call him.” He sat behind his desk and scribbled a note. “Nothing has been sticking in my brain these days.”

“You’ll find your footing,” she assured him as she quietly hummed to Eli.

“I’m just glad you turned up when you did.” He looked up at her. “What did bring you by?”

“Paperwork.” His gratitude had her swallowing hard. Keep it professional.

Keep things calm. Do not let yourself think about that almost kiss in the hall. “The emergency foster parent documents. I have an appointment with Judge Ramos in about an hour.” She shifted her hold and let Eli snuggle in the crook of her arm as he slurped.

“That was fast.” Gil blinked in shock.

“The word emergency opens a few lanes in the red-tape race. I agree we should get Eli protected as soon as possible.” She pressed her lips against the top of Eli’s head. He wasn’t warm. He didn’t have a fever, but his breathing seemed off. He was occasionally taking short, uneven breaths. Probably just overexerted himself, screaming the place down. “It’s not the best timing, I know. I’m sure you’re not feeling as committed to him at the moment as you once were.”

“I have no intention of being a fair-weather parent.”

Leah’s eyes went wide. “All right.” The sharpness in his voice belied issues she couldn’t begin to fathom. “I meant that as a joke, but good to know.”

“Sorry.” He shook his head. “I’m all over the place today. I guess maybe we both are.”

Sometimes babies just needed to cry, she thought again. And sometimes their surrogate fathers needed to talk. Whether they wanted to or not. But that would only lead her into trouble.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Could a surprise baby lead to a forever family?

Ineffective, shortsighted and self-centered—that’s what top family lawyer Leah Ellis thinks of Gil Hamilton. And that’s why she’s vying for his position as mayor of Butterfly Harbor. But when a six-month-old baby is left on Gil’s doorstep, he turns to her for help. Gil’s dedication to baby Eli shows Leah she was wrong about her rival. But can he win her vote for a future together?
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Meet the Author:

Anna J Stewart is the USA Today bestselling author of more than forty sweet to spicy romances. Primarily writing for Harlequin’s Heartwarming (sweet romance) and Romantic Suspense (spicy) lines, Anna also writes for Arc Manor’s Caezik Romance. A former Daphne duMaurier and National Readers’ Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock. You can read more about Anna, her books, and her workshops for authors at www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com.
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