Spotlight & Giveaway: THE SWEETHEART FIX by Miranda Liasson

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Miranda Liasson to HJ!

Hi Miranda and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Sweetheart Fix!

 
Hi, Sara! Thanks so much for having me!
 

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

THE SWEETHEART FIX is an opposites-attract small-town romance between Juliet, a marriage/family therapist whose own relationship history is a disaster and Jack, a displaced-cowboy mayor with a heart of gold who’s great at doin’ but not so great at talkin’.
 

Please share the opening lines of this book:

On a warm Thursday in early October, Juliet Montgomery ran her hand along the gray-washed surface of her brand-new Ikea desk, inhaled its fresh wood scent, and whispered…”I finally made it.” She just knew that, after so many years of being AWOL, the karma of the universe was finally by her side.
Her one minute of revelry at being in a real office with her name on the door ended with a firm knock.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I always wanted to write a cowboy book, but I’m from Ohio! Well, THE SWEETHEART FIX is my cowboy book. Jack is Texas born-and-bred, but he moved to the small town of Blossom Glen, Indiana, bringing his Texan soul with him. Hope you love him as much as I do!
• Juliet is a marriage and family counselor who has endured her own mental health struggles. This book cheerleads for mental health, which is so vital and important!
• Jackie O, Juliet’s landlady, who knows all her comings and goings, is based on a landlord I had a long time ago who never missed a thing, including a door creaking open, even in the middle of the night!
• The scene where the friends brainstorm baby names for Tessa and Leo’s baby, the couple from THE SWEETHEART DEAL, cracked me up:
  “How about a cool name like Chandler, Phoebe, Monica, Ross, or Joey?” Noah offered.
  Jack chimed in. “Or good, strong Texas names like Austin, Dallas, Antonio…Stetson…”
  That made Leo straighten, armed with a paintbrush, and give his friend a look. “Stetson, Jack? Really?”
  “Those are all boy names,” Juliet noted.
  “All right then,” Jack said. “How about Texanne, Bluebonnet…or, Blue Bell.”
  “Blue Bell…like the ice cream?” Juliet grinned. “Finally, one I like!”
• Jack woos Juliet with ice cream, which she has a long history with, ever since she was a toddler rescued from climbing the town water tower. I just might have exactly the same affection to that food as well!

What first attracts your main characters to each other?

Red haired, impulsive (or so Jack thinks) Juliet accidentally finds herself arbitrating neighborly disputes that Mayor Jack is clueless about solving. Being the middle child and used to peacemaking, she can’t resist jumping in to help. But when she suggests he become part of the solution, he turns right around and drags her right along with him. So they spar and annoy each other, but that masks an attraction they just can’t deny!
 

Using just 5 words, how would you describe your main characters”love affair?

Unexpected. Unwelcome. Complicated. Irresistible! (Okay, that’s 4 but I’m stopping there!)
 

The First Kiss…

Jack’s words melted Juliet for two reasons. One, he’d said them slow and carefully in that low, deep, Texas voice of his that reverberated down to her toes. But the second thing was, he’d said something that no one else had ever said to her.
Don’t change. You’re perfect as you are.
And the funny thing was that with him, she’d been only herself all the way, the good and the bad. Somehow, she’d never possessed a burning need to impress him. Maybe because she’d never considered the possibility of them as a…couple.
But now he was leaning over. Or maybe she was leaning toward him. She couldn’t tell, because she felt a little light-headed. And it was dark, a slight breeze blowing off the water and wrapping around them like a velvety blanket, the frogs and crickets serenading them with their songs.
She couldn’t stop looking into those bluer than blue eyes of his. Which right now held a look. That chocolate-cake look that made her feel…fine just as she was.
And then their lips met. His mouth grazed hers so lightly, soft as a butterfly, but the contact sent waves of shock all through her. He curled his hand softly around her neck, his fingers sliding through her hair, firm but gentle, as he turned his head to kiss her fully.

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

I love the “moment of reckoning,” where they both finally stop denying their attraction for each other…

After Juliet dropped Daisy off, she started to walk home, thankful for the mild fall evening. She inhaled the earthy smell of fall leaves, enjoying the crunch of them under her feet as she walked the tree-lined sidewalks of her town. She took big gulps of fresh air, hoping to relieve the confusion she felt inside. Her family and friends loved her. They wanted her to succeed.
But it appeared that there was someone standing in the way of that goal.
Herself.
She hadn’t worked so hard for years to get herself educated to be tripped up by her own two feet, right?
Juliet sat down on a bench under a grove of trees. The leaves were still plentiful, but all were showing off their splashiest browns, golds, or reds, getting ready to rest and rejuvenate before a whole new cycle of rebirth. And oh, she longed to feel that way, too.
So she wasn’t interested in a relationship, and she needed to figure herself out. Well then, why did she keep seeing the dark, sexy gaze of an Indiana cowboy who always seemed to be interfering in her life?
Speaking of the devil, a big black truck quietly rolled up to her park bench.
“Hey there, Counselor,” Jack said, sticking his head out the window. Without his Stetson for once.
“Quit calling me that,” she warned. “It’s…cheeky. Sarcastic.”
He sighed and tapped the door nervously with his fingers. “I’m going to start again. No cheek.” He turned his head away and then back, as if seeing her for the first time. “Hey there, Juliet,” he said.
And oh, that way was far worse. Because the sound of her name—spoken in his low, rumbly baritone—it did something to her, deep inside. Something heart pumping and a little thrilling. Something she did not understand. And definitely something she did not want to come to terms with.
“Jack,” she said with disbelief, feeling like she’d conjured him out of nowhere just from thinking about him. “What are you doing here?”
“Just checking on my constituents.” He looked her up and down, mostly with concern. “Making sure there’s no trouble.”
She looked around at the sleepy neighborhood, lights glowing softly within people’s living rooms and kitchens. Birds were singing their final goodnight song, spreading the news that it would soon be time for flight.
She opened her arms wide. “There’s no trouble around here.”
He chuckled. “Ah, but you’re wrong. I’ve already found it.” He cracked a lopsided grin that was…well, borderline irresistible. Borderline because it was like she was on the edge of a precipice. And if she didn’t figure out how to pull herself back, she was going to tumble right over the edge.
She resisted by holding onto the seat of the park bench with all she had. “You’re going to find even more if you don’t keep on driving.”
“You don’t mean that.” He sounded mock-offended.
She did mean it. Mostly. But the annoying man wouldn’t budge. Instead, he turned off the engine, climbed out, and walked over until he was standing before her.
His stride was long and confident, his legs that perfect combination of muscled and lean in faded, soft jeans. And he was so tall, the brand-new leaves on the trees ruffled in the breeze right above his head. Without the Stetson, his hair was wavy, a little unruly, and slightly longish, but it suited him—a little wild, a little edgy, and a whole lot sexy. But the thing that devastated her the most was the way he looked at her. A little bemused, a little sympathetic. She saw kindness there, too. And something else.
Desire. If she wasn’t mistaken, the mayor was Hot for Counselor.
She bent over, pressing the ball of her hand to her forehead. Her own inappropriate thoughts were complicating her well-hewn plans. Like what nice, full lips he had. And how when he smiled, his blue eyes lit up. And how his Texan jaw could split wood, it was so square and strong.
But these were only thoughts. She had the power to control her behavior. That’s what she told her clients all the time.
She was coming to see that Jack was a fixer. He got in there and he fixed things, and apparently, this talent extended to people.
She couldn’t let it extend to her.
She couldn’t be looked upon as someone who was broken, who needed help. For some reason, that, coming from him, would devastate her.
He sat down beside her on the bench. Around them, the street was quiet. The soft clinking of metal tags reached them as someone walked their dog down the sidewalk.
Her pulse picked up at the presence of him, big and tall, and so close she could feel his body heat. His arm grazed hers as he leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees, and that little movement sent a wave of tingles cascading all through her.
“You feel sorry for me,” she said.
“No,” he said, tapping his fingers together. “I really don’t.”
She frowned. “Then why are you here?”
He turned his head to look at her. “I thought you might need a friend.”
She snorted. “Well, I had plenty of those show up for my education session, didn’t I?”
“Yes, but that was different. They came to support you. I’m just here to listen.”
“I thought you didn’t believe in talking, in therapy.”
“I never said that. I said therapy wasn’t for me.”
“That seems a little…arrogant.” She couldn’t help saying it. Her life was based on the belief that therapy helped people. Anyone who passed that off as nonsense…well, she couldn’t really relate to someone like that at all. Even if he did look mighty fine in his blue jeans.
“Actually, it’s the opposite. Of arrogant.”
That was unexpected. “What do you mean?”
“Well, I’ll tell you all about it. But I’d like to take you somewhere first.”
Take me somewhere? He sat back and looked at her with a slow, steady gaze, like he’d decided on a course of action, and that was that. And even in the dim light from the streetlights, she could see that determination in his eyes.
“Where would you want to go?” she asked.
His full mouth curved up in a smile. “It’s a surprise.”

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

Definitely the one just above.

Readers should read this book …

…if you love…
–Mr. Wrong is really Mr. Right
–Opposites Attract
–Displaced cowboy
–Small-town charm
–Finding the courage to be yourself
–Family, friends, sisters!
–Mental health awareness

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

I’m doing copyedits on next summer’s romantic women’s fiction book about three best friends, called The Summer of Second Chances. It’s about the third friend, Darla, who is a cancer survivor and an author. The cover just went up at the online retailers, and it is bee-u-ti-ful! Hope you agree.

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: A paperback copy of THE SWEETHEART FIX. (Digital if international.)

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What do you love the best about small-town romance?

 
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Excerpt from The Sweetheart Fix:

The police chief picks Jack and Juliet up one night after Jack loses his keys in a lake They are both sopping wet after diving for the keys. He drops Juliet off at her apartment first…

“Thanks.” Juliet got out and closed the door, then leaned in the window. “And thanks for picking us up, Aaron.” She glanced into the back. “Jack, sorry again about your keys.” She paused. Her heart gave a sudden lurch as she considered her words carefully. Seconds ticked by. Aaron looked like he was wondering why she wasn’t leaving. Jack was in the shadows so she couldn’t see his face very well. “Hey,” she found herself saying, “maybe you should come with me. Um, since your keys are gone.”
Good one, Juliet. Could she possibly be more awkward?
“My apartment’s unlocked,” he said.
“Oh. Okay.” Well, that was that.
She bit her lip. Her life passed before her. Her bad decisions, her mistakes. Her determination not to repeat them.
Then she thought about what Tessa had told her about taking risks. That to grow and change she’d have to take them. “Why don’t you come in anyway,” she said on impulse, her heart beating in her throat. “I—I have leftover pizza.” Which sounded ridiculous. But also, Viv had gone to a concert in Indy tonight and was staying with friends. So for once she had the place all to herself.
What had she done? Just propositioned Jack in front of his best friend. And maybe embarrassed him.
Could someone be propositioned with pizza?
But for the first time in a long time, she’d put herself out there. Followed her heart.
Seconds ticked by that seemed like hours. Her cold hands death-gripped the door of the cruiser. Aaron judiciously checked his phone. Jack leaned forward in the back seat. “I like pizza,” he said, and climbed out of the car.
“Catch you tomorrow,” Aaron said as he threw the car into drive. Then he looked at both of them. “Figured that ice-cold water would cool you two off,” he mumbled as he pulled away.

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Juliet Montgomery absolutely loves her small town of Blossom Glen, Indiana, and everyone loves her. Except for the fact that she’s a couples counselor who suffered a very public breakup that no one can forget. And now her boss asks her to take a step back…which is exactly when the town’s good-lookin’ and unusually gruff mayor offers her an unexpected job.

Jack Monroe absolutely loves being the mayor of his small town. Except when he actually has to talk to people. Can’t he just fix the community problems in peace? Like right now, he’s mediating the silliest dispute two neighbors could possibly have. When the town sweetheart steps up and solves everyone’s problems in five minutes flat, Jack realizes what this town really needs…is a therapist.

Juliet is able to soothe anyone—other than the surly mayor, it seems. But there’s a reason they say opposites attract, because all of their verbal sparring leads to some serious attraction. Only, just like with fireworks, the view might appear beautiful—but she’s already had one public explosion that’s nearly ruined everything…how can she risk her heart again?
Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | Goodreads |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Miranda Liasson is a bestselling author who writes about the important relationships in women’s lives. Her heartwarming and humorous romances have won numerous accolades and have been praised by Entertainment Weekly for the way she “deals with so much of what makes life hard . . . without ever losing the warmth and heart that characterize her writing.”

A proud native of Northeast Ohio, she lives in a neighborhood of old homes that serve as inspiration for her books.
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