Spotlight & Giveaway: The Wedding Gift by Carolyn Brown

Posted June 27th, 2023 by in Blog, Spotlight / 64 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Carolyn Brown to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Carolyn and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, The Wedding Gift!

 
Hello, to all y’all. I’m so glad to be back here at HJ to visit about my new book that’s just hitting the market.
 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

This is an anthology with three of my novellas in it. Just roll through the seasons with the stories!
The Wedding Gift: Darla has a case of cold feet not long before her wedding, and might just make the mistake of a lifetime, but then her Granny comes to the rescue with stories of her own feelings before she got married. A Slow Dance Holiday: Legend has it the Honky Tonk bar in tiny Mingus, Texas, is charmed and its owners will find true love. But when new owners Cameron Walsh and JJ Jenks meet the week before Christmas and discover the deal includes sharing an efficiency in the back of the bar, they’re not sure it’s going to be the down-home Christmas they dreamed about. Summertime on the Ranch: City meets country and city girl Becca is about to learn a thing or two about bad-boy cowboys–one in particular named Dalton.
 

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

The Wedding Gift: “For the first year of my marriage I didn’t think I had married the right person. There were times that I thought I’d married the devil himself.”
A Slow Dance Holiday: “Us older ladies take a little longer to get beautified than you young’uns. What gravity ain’t got a hold off, wrinkles have.”
Summertime on the Ranch: “I’ve probably joined all the women in the universe in admiring him, but the difference is that I’m stronger than they are, and I can damn well fight off his charms.”

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • When Grandpa in The Wedding Gift got married, he thought a marriage license was like a fishing license. You renewed it every year, but then he found out that it involved a divorce.
  • JJ and Cameron each inherited half of the Honky Tonk in Mingus, Texas. JJ thought Cameron was a woman. Cameron thought JJ was a guy.
  • Becca’s dream of being a singer in Nashville didn’t work out, but she sure didn’t expect to have to deal with a sexy cowboy and a ornery bull when she took on the job of working in a watermelon wine making shed.

 

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

The Wedding Gift: Darla loves the way Will makes her feel special, but then Andy shows up, and she remembers all the wild times.
A Slow Dance Holiday: This is a friends to lovers story. JJ and Cameron have to live in such close quarters that they have no choice but to be friends. Then it blossoms into more!
Summertime on the Ranch: Women all flocked to Dalton, but Becca is determined not to be among them…until she can’t fight it anymore.

 

Did any scene have you blushing, crying or laughing while writing it? And Why?

Several scenes had me doing all of the above:

Summertime on the ranch: “Lesson number one,” she said, “is not to hold a woman too closely on the first dance.”
“Darlin’, I know how to two-step,” he whispered into her ear.
“But do you know how to dance with a woman who’s almost as tall as you are?” she asked. “I hear that you prefer short little gals with dark hair.”
“So, you’ve been asking questions about me?” he avoided her question. Truth was he had not danced with many tall women, but oh, sweet Jesus, he did like the way Becca fit into his arms. He was tempted to tip up her chin and kiss her when the male vocalist in the band started singing “Tennessee Whiskey”, but he didn’t dare push his luck.
“Don’t have to ask questions about a rounder like you, Dalton,” she answered. “The news just floats around this part of the world like dandelion fluff in the springtime. Everyone knows who and what you are.”
“And that is?” Dalton asked.
“They’d call you a player in the big cities, but in this part of the world I think you’re just referred to as a bad boy,” she told him.
The Wedding Gift: “Because he was wild and dating him was exciting. Are you having second thoughts, child? Your mama and daddy are out a lot of money for you to be calling off the wedding.” Roxie’s eyes bored holes into Darla’s soul. “Are you going to need me to hide you from your mama? I’ve got some money put back to buy your wedding present, but if you need it to run away, we can use it for that. But only if you take me with you. I would far rather go to Hawaii or even to the beaches in Florida than to this damned old anniversary party.”
“Why would I hide from Mama?” Darla asked.
“Because she’s going to throw a pure, old Southern hissy fit if you pull one of them runaway-bride things.
A Slow Dance Holiday: “Now I have to tell them (her family) that I’m living with a bartender and own half a honky tonk. That ought to send them into shock. I just hope they don’t bring Eli and Abigail out here to do an intervention.”

 

Readers should read this book….

because it will give reinforce the idea that love conquers all…including cold feet, meddling relatives, and even bad boy cowboys.
 

What are you currently working on? What other releases do you have in the works?

I’m working on a women’s fiction book right now: The Sawmill Book Club.
Upcoming releases are: The Lucky Shamrock, July 4; Paradise for Christmas, Oct. 10; On the Way to Us, Dec. 12: Meadow Falls, Jan. 9
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: I will give away a $25 Amazon gift card.

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: What is your favorite season and why?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 
 

Excerpt from The Wedding Gift:

“How do you know you are marrying the right person, Granny?” Darla Marshall asked her grandmother.
Roxie leaned in so she could see her reflection better in the round mirror in the middle of the antique vanity. She hated putting on makeup these days, but somedays, a woman had to gussy up a little, and besides, it gave her a moment to think about what her youngest granddaughter had just asked. Her lipstick ran into the wrinkles around her mouth, and she only had a few gray eyelashes to even try to put mascara on. But makeup was secondary to answering her granddaughter’s question. Roxie had babysat Darla from the time she was six weeks old, so they had a close relationship, and she’d always tried to be there for the girl—to be honest with her even with difficult questions.
“Honey, you’d have to ask someone else that question,” Roxie said as she applied a little blush to her cheeks. “For the first year of my marriage I didn’t think I had married the right person. There were times that I thought I’d married the devil himself.”
“But I always thought you and Gramps had the perfect marriage.” Darla plopped down on the bed behind Roxie. “How did you know he was your soul mate?”
Roxie stood up and crossed the room to her closet. She pulled off her gingham-checked snap-front duster and hung it up, took out her dress, and laid it on the end of the bed. “He was not my soul mate there at first, honey.”
“Then why did you marry him?” Darla asked.
“Because he was wild and dating him was exciting. Are you having second thoughts, child? Your mama and daddy are out a lot of money for you to be calling off the wedding.” Roxie’s eyes bored holes into Darla’s soul. “Are you going to need me to hide you from your mama? I’ve got some money put back to buy your wedding present, but if you need it to run away, we can use it for that. But only if you take me with you. I would far rather go to Hawaii or even to the beaches in Florida than to this damned old anniversary party.”
“Why would I hide from Mama?” Darla asked.
“Because she’s going to throw a pure, old Southern hissy fit if you pull one of them runaway-bride things. She told me last week that the wedding had already gone over the budget your dad gave her, and she hadn’t even paid the florist yet or the caterer,” Roxie answered as she pulled her mauve-colored dress over her head.
“Be careful not to muss up your hair. Mama would have a hissy fit over that, too. I’m not planning on running away”—she squirmed a little at the lie because she never lied to her grandmother and the idea of calling off the wedding had crossed her mind—“but marriage is until death, and I just want to be sure I’m saying ‘I do’ to the right person.” She held up her engagement ring and stared at it for a while. “How do I know for absolute sure, Granny?”
“Gloria is good at hissy fits, but I got to admit, she’s been a wonderful daughter-in-law. She and Kevin gave me you three girls.” Roxie lowered her voice. “You do know you’re my favorite, don’t you?”
Darla giggled. “You tell that to all three of us sisters, but since you babysat me so much when I was little, we’ve kind of got a bond that Sarah and Marilyn don’t have with you. A bond”—Darla gave her the old stink eye—“that lets me know when you are evading my question because you don’t want to answer it.”
“Yes, we do have something special, and yes, I am beating around the bush, but not because I don’t want to answer. It’s because I’m not sure how to without going into a lot of detail. Would you zip me up, please?” Roxie turned around. “And you look more like me than the other two, so that makes you extra special.”
Darla hopped off the bed and zipped her grandmother’s dress. She loved it when folks told her that she looked like Roxie did when she was young. “You look beautiful today, Granny. I wish I’d gotten your red hair and then we’d look even more alike. Did you have a big wedding when you and Gramps got married?”
“Lord, no!” Roxie went back to the vanity and fastened a strand of pearls around her neck. “We got married on the side of the road. My folks didn’t like Claud. The Marshall family lived up in the woods near the Red River just north of Powderly, Texas. They didn’t value education very much, and none of the ten boys in the family finished high school. They were Christian people—at least their mother was—and hardworking folks, but the daddy in the family liked his liquor and had a reputation for wasting money on poker games. Back in my younger days, and in my family, that was a bad thing.”
“But you fell in love with him even though he was a bad boy, right?” Darla handed Roxie the pearl earrings that matched her necklace.
“I thought I was in love with him,” Roxie answered. “There now, we’re ready to go to the church. I really do not want this damned party. I’m only going along with it for Kevin and Gloria’s sake. I wouldn’t let them do anything for our fiftieth anniversary, so when they came up with this idea, I agreed. I’d rather for me and you to go to the bank, clean out my savings account, and head south to Florida. We could be beach bums until the money runs out.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

A bride with cold feet might just make the mistake of a lifetime… Includes two bonus novellas to help you celebrate the seasons!

A week before your wedding is one heckuva time for your ex to ride back into town, stirring up trouble. But that’s exactly the predicament Darla McAdams finds herself in. Darla’s on the verge of breaking up with her fiancé, Will Jackson—only a week before the wedding. Her parents would disown her, but Darla’s sure that her Granny Roxie will understand when Darla tells her that her first love, Andy, has come back to town. Thank goodness for a wise granny’s reminiscences of her own sassy wedding at just the right moment…
Book Links: Amazon | B&N |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Carolyn Brown is a New York Times, USA Today, Wall Street Journal, Publisher’s Weekly and #1 Amazon and #1 Washington Post bestselling author. She is the author of more than 100 novels and several novellas. She’s a recipient of the Bookseller’s Best Award, Montlake Romance’s prestigious Montlake Diamond Award, and a three-time recipient of the National Reader’s Choice Award. Brown has been published for more than 25 years, and her books have been translated 21 foreign languages, and have sold more than 10 million copies worldwide.
When she’s not writing, she likes to take road trips with her husband, Mr. B, and her family, and she plots out new stories as they travel.
Visit her at www.carolynbrownbooks.com
Website | Facebook | Twitter | Instagram | GoodReads |
 
 
 

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64 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: The Wedding Gift by Carolyn Brown”

  3. Jennifer Shiflett

    Fall and winter because the weather is cooler and I can put my Christmas tree up.

  4. Jeanna Massman

    I love Spring! The weather is mild and the flowers are beautiful.

  8. Pat Lieberman

    Spring. Cold weather is gone and no more coats and heavy jackets, and the promise of wearing sandals.

  9. dodgerfannnat - Pat Lieberman

    Don’t know why I am still having a problem posting. Anyway, Spring, no more cold weather, heavy coats, looking forward to blooming flowers and time to wear sandals.

  12. Glenda M

    Spring! I love all the wildflowers and everything in bloom before the heat of summer.

  13. Janine

    I love fall because Texas summers can be so brutal and I look forward to when it starts to cool down again.

  14. Texas Book Lover

    I love spring, I love seeing the flowers blooming and it isn’t too hot yet…well usually!

  18. Kathleen O

    Summer because I don’t have to where coats or boots and I can live in my flip-flops if I want to.

  20. Crystal

    My favorite month is December probably because that’s when my Birthday and Christmas is but my favorite season is Summer because I like the warmth and the sunshine and I rarely don’t have to wear a Jacket.

  21. Banana cake

    Spring because I hate winter and I’m happy that it’s finally getting warmer, but not to hot yet.

  22. Will G

    Summer because I like the warm weather and that there is a lot more to do.

  23. Elle

    Fall because I run/jog/walk/hike outdoors year round and the scenery and weather during this season is perfection.

  25. Diane Sallans

    Spring – the days are getting longer and warmer, and the flowers start coming out.

  26. Marisela Zuniga

    Fall is my favorite season! The weather is perfect and I love Halloween and Thanksgiving

  30. Summer

    The summer is my favorite season, I like warm weather, sunshine, and being able to read outside.

  31. Connie

    Fall is my favorite! Cooler weather, fall holidays, and lots of family time!

    • Dianne Casey

      I love Spring because the earth is waking up after it’s long winter nap and the weather is starting to warm up.

  36. Latesha B.

    Autumn for going back to school, football, leaves changing colors and sweaters.

  38. Mary Preston

    I love autumn. The cool nights and warm days. The autumn colors are just glorious too.

  39. Ellen C.

    They all have their positives. I do like the longer daylight hours in Spring and Summer.

  41. Nicole (Nicky) Ortiz

    Fall because I think the weather is perfect and it doesn’t hurt my birthday is in the fall.
    Thanks for the chance!

  44. Shannon Capelle

    Winter because I love the cold and snow and all my favorite holidays are in the winter!

  47. Maryann

    My favorite season is summer. I love the warm weather and going to the beach.

  49. Kim

    Winter. It’s Christmastime! I also like that the weather is cold and I get to wear warm comfortable clothes and have blankets out.

  50. Debbie P

    My favorite is summer because of the warm air, sunshine and everything is green.

  51. Melanie B

    My favorite is spring because everything is green and flowers are ready to bloom

  53. traciemich

    I love because of all the Fall festivals and also because of Thanksgiving!

  57. Bonnie

    I enjoy the spring because of the beautiful fragrant flowers and the mild weather.

  58. Patricia B.

    I love the Fall. The weather is cooling off, trees are changing colors, fall produce are coming in. I love the crispness in the air and the warmth of the sun in the chill. There is a special feel to a hike in the woods. Leaves crunch underfoot and there is the smell of crushed leaves and earth.

  59. Joy

    Spring here in Arizona is really nice-the flowers,the weather,and the outdoor activities are awesome

  61. Terrill R

    Spring is my favorite season. Everything starts blooming, the temps are mildly warm (at least where I live,) and exercising outdoors isn’t a chore anymore.