Spotlight & Giveaway: Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay by Babette de Jongh

Posted March 29th, 2021 by in Blog, Spotlight / 65 comments

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author Babette de Jongh to HJ!
Spotlight&Giveaway

Hi Babette and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay!

 

Please summarize the book for the readers here:

This series is the love child of my two passions: animal communication and romance writing. As an animal communicator, I know that our animal companions speak to us in ways we understand on a subliminal level but don’t always recognize intellectually, and I have witnessed first-hand how they work their wiles to nudge us in the right direction.
In Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay, Abby Curtis lands on her Aunt Reva’s doorstep with nowhere to go but up. Abby needs this time of rest and respite to heal her broken heart, and caring for her aunt’s animals at Bayside Barn is exactly what she needs. What she doesn’t need is the distraction of the hunky new neighbor, who isn’t happy to learn that he has moved next door to a glorified petting zoo. But Reva’s dog, Georgia, has other ideas.
Quinn Lockhart plans to renovate and flip the aging estate he has just purchased, but he finds out too late that the neighboring property is a popular—and loud—field trip destination. He takes steps to remedy the situation, but his attraction to Abby soon makes him regret his hasty decision. He’s stuck in the mess he has made of things until an abandoned wolf dog colludes with Georgia to find a way to bring Abby and Quinn together despite their differences.
 

Please share your favorite quote from the book

“Your baby—who is the size of a moose, by the way—came onto my property, knocked me down, bit me on the ass, and stole a granola bar from my back pocket.”

 

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

  • The character of Georgia is based on our Georgia, who was brought here under false pretenses by my youngest daughter. She claimed she’d found the puppy on the side of the road. I knew better, but I didn’t call her on it because I knew that Georgia was meant to be here.
  •  Gregory the hedge-eating goat is based on our escape artist goat who was born here at Dragonfly Pond Farm. He thought he was a dog, but we didn’t tell him he was wrong about that.
  • Freddy the macaw is based on our macaw, Talume. He didn’t talk dirty, even though he heard off-color words spoken from time to time.

 

If you could have given your characters one piece of advice before the opening pages of the book, what – would it be and why?

Our animal companions have more wisdom to share than we give them credit for! They have good advice to give if we’ll just take the time to listen.

 

If your book was optioned for a movie, what scene would you use for the audition of the main characters and why?

Abby and Quinn have seen each other from a distance. But they meet in person for the first time after one of the donkeys from Bayside Barn breaks through the fence, knocks Quinn down, and steals a granola bar from his back pocket.

He crossed unfairly muscular arms over unfairly toned abs. “Enjoying the view?”
Her face heated. “Well enough.” She couldn’t deny that she’d been staring. But her appreciation of his well-developed form was purely academic.
“Only fair, I guess.” He swept an appreciative glance from her bare feet to her heated cheeks. His blue eyes shining with humor, he trapped her gaze in his. “I bought this place for the view, but I didn’t know until recently what a bargain I was getting.”
“Oh?” She glanced down at her dirt-smeared attire, a getup not likely to inspire such a flattering comment. Had he seen her yesterday with her robe gaping open? Or worse… Had he seen her skinny-dipping last night?

 

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

First, I hope that Abby and Quinn’s love story will lift people’s hearts the way any romance novel should. But my sinister master plan is that any animal lovers who read this book will recognize the ways in which they are already communicating telepathically with their own animal companions, and maybe decide to study and learn and practice to increase their natural abilities. How might we change the world if enough people take the time to embrace their ability to communicate with the animals they love?

 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

 

Giveaway: A print copy of Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay by Babette de Jongh

 

To enter Giveaway: Please complete the Rafflecopter form and Post a comment to this Q: After reading the book, have you recognized times when your animal companions have communicated with you telepathically but you didn’t realize it was happening?

 
a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Excerpt from Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay:

Georgia’s high-pitched howl woke Abby from a dead sleep at 2:00 a.m. She bolted upright. “What?”
Georgia howled again. Abby listened to the sounds outside, alert for signs of an intruder breaking in. But all she could hear was the familiar nighttime chorus of tree frogs and crickets. “What is it, Georgia?”
The little dog howled again, the sound mournful and distraught. And then, Abby heard Wolf’s answering howl coming from next door. “Oh, girl.” Abby stroked Georgia’s fur. “Are you missing Wolf?”
Georgia howled again. Of course she was missing her friend. But she and Wolf had chosen opposite sides in this ongoing war between Abby and Quinn. “I’m sorry,” Abby said. “You can go over there if you want to.”
But Georgia only lifted her face to the ceiling and howled again.
“Come here.” Abby hauled Georgia up close and tried to snuggle her back to sleep, but Georgia’s body remained taut with tension. Abby held Georgia still and managed to drift off into dreamland herself, but Georgia bolted upright at 3:16 a.m. and started howling again.
Abby took the little dog’s face in her hands and stared into her worried brown eyes. “Georgia. If I promise to talk to Quinn tomorrow, will you please let me sleep?”
Georgia pulled away and howled again. Wolf howled back, and Abby almost considered going to Quinn’s right away. But thoughts of the swarms of mosquitoes that would attack her between here and there held her off. “I promise, I’ll talk to Quinn tomorrow if you’ll just let me sleep tonight.”
After a few minutes more of singing the songs of her people while Wolf sang back from Quinn’s side of the fence, Georgia quieted down and seemed to relax. “That’s it, girl,” Abby crooned and massaged Georgia’s tense muscles. “You just relax and go to sleep. Tomorrow is a new day, and we’ll all do better tomorrow.”

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

An extraordinary new series from an extraordinary author…

Abby Curtis lands on her Aunt Reva’s doorstep at Bayside Barn with nowhere to go but up. Learning animal communication from her aunt while taking care of the motley assortment of rescue animals on the farm is an important part of Abby’s healing process. She is eager to begin a new life on her own, but she isn’t prepared for the magnetism between her and her handsome, stubborn and distracting new neighbor.

Quinn Lockhart snapped up the foreclosed estate next door determined to renovate and flip the beautiful bayou property. It’s all part of a plan to make a financial comeback and reconnect with his estranged son. Definitely not part of the plan is the noisy petting zoo next door dragging down his property value. But getting rid of it becomes more difficult when he falls for the lovely and passionate Abby and bonds with an abandoned wolf dog who’s mournfully waiting for his family to return. For humans and animals alike, it will take all the courage they can muster to learn to love again. But that’s a journey worth taking—with a little help from their furry friends.

You’ll fall in love right along with Abby as animals and humans alike find unexpected ways to connect, nurture each other, and thrive.

Book Links: Amazon | B&N | iTunes | BAM |
 
 

Meet the Author:

Babette de Jongh is an award-winning romance author, professional animal communicator, energy healer, and teacher…saving the world, one happy ending at a time. Visit her anytime at babettedejongh.com.
 
 
 

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65 Responses to “Spotlight & Giveaway: Warm Nights in Magnolia Bay by Babette de Jongh”

  1. Mary Preston

    I have not read the book. I know what my children are thinking – most of the time – does that count?

    • babette2016

      Kids are much harder to connect with telepathically than critters, Mary, so you’re already an ascended master. That definitely counts!

    • babette2016

      It’s good that you have an open mind, Diana. Animal communication is subtle, and most people don’t recognize it when it happens.

  3. EC

    Hadn’t had a pet for a long time so not sure if I even experienced it yet.

    • babette2016

      Try connecting with one of the animals who live near you, EC. Some of the most incredible communications I’ve had were with the local wildlife: birds, snakes, spiders, frogs… chat with whoever shows up and see what they have to say.

    • babette2016

      That’s okay, Lori. Most of us don’t know it’s happening until someone explains what it looks/feels/sounds like. Then we’re like, yeah, of course! It’s such a natural thing that we’re not always aware of it.

    • babette2016

      It’s hard to be sure, Lori. Even after all the years I’ve been doing animal communication professionally, it is important that I have the courage to admit that I could be wrong. (Because hey, I’m human, therefore I could be wrong.) The proof of animal communication comes when our communication affects an animal’s behavior or can be validated by the animal’s human. Your comment, “I am not sure,” is in fact the hallmark of an authentic animal communicator. None of us can be sure. We can only do the best we can and hope our efforts are sufficient to help ourselves, those we love, and others around us.

  7. Pamela Conway

    No I don’t think I’d realize it was happening. I can tell what my dogs want by their behavior. Adding book to my tbr.

    • babette2016

      Hi, Pamela, thanks so much for your comment. I hope that you will read the book, because there are bits and pieces of the narrative flow that show how animal communication feels to humans who aren’t quite sure what’s happening when they’re receiving information from an animal. It’s easy to dismiss our innate abilities by deciding that we’re only observing our animal companions’ behavior. And to be sure, a lot of animal communication starts with observing behavior.The fact that you’re even thinking about this dynamic means you care enough to dig deeper. I hope you will, because it’s clear that you’re connected-in enough to be aware of the many layers of communication that exist between us and our animal companions. It’s like peeling an onion. And it feels to me that you’re already partway through the layers.

    • babette2016

      That’s okay, Charlotte. You may not have felt it or experienced it, but that doesn’t mean you’re not a natural at telepathic animal communication. It’s a lifelong journey, and every step along the way is a part of the process. Just trust yourself and keep an open mind about whatever comes up.

  9. Janine

    Sometimes their body language tells me something. Like one time when we had (a tiny) earthquake, right before it happened, one of my cats was acting very strange. I didn’t think much of it until afterwards.

    • babette2016

      Hi, Janine, thank you for sharing your experience! We often don’t recognize animal communication until after it happens. But the fact that you noticed it means that you have the ability to communicate. It’s just a matter of being mindful and following up on those little clues along the way.

  10. Glenda M

    If you pay attention you’ll find that animals are often trying to tell you something.

    • babette2016

      Glenda, you are so right! I often think that our animals feel like they’re in a foreign land wishing that the people all around them could understand their language. And we can, if we try!

  11. Martha Lawson

    I haven’t read this one, but it is on my wish list! It sounds awesome.

    • babette2016

      Martha, I hope you will read it, and I hope you enjoy the read. If you love animals (and romance!) I think you will. Thanks so much for posting your reply.

  12. SusieQ

    I think pets can sense your emotions. I had shoulder surgery, as I lay down to recover, my cat laid on my chest and gently put his paw in my sling. So sweet, until he decided he was done comforting me and launched himself off of the shoulder I just had surgery on.

    • babette2016

      Yes, SusieQ, you are so right about our cat companions. They are so adept at knowing that we need their healing and love and support, and they give it so freely… just before they dig their claws in and use us a launching pad. I remember years ago when I broke my shoulder falling off a horse (totally my fault BTW). We had two new kittens at the time. Something set them off and they went sideways around the room as if the four walls were the exterior rails of a NASCAR track. I saw them running along the couch coming toward the recliner where I was packed in with pillows, and there was nothing I could do but watch them vault across my chest like it was a corner of the racetrack. I still remember the helplessness I felt while I waited for heir claws dig into me on their way to some finish line I couldn’t see. You have my condolences.

  17. Crystal

    Actually, I think my cat speaks to me several times a day telepathically I just don’t realize it.
    Love book cover and excerpt. Would love to read and review this book and All your books in print format.

  18. diannekc

    I think my animals communicate with me telepathically all the time. There are times when I do something, like giving them treats, from silent signals from my cats.

    • babette2016

      Cats are experts at human mind control. I’ll be immersed in whatever I’m doing, then before I know it, I’m halfway to the treat jar without even thinking about it. My dogs are pretty good at it, too. They all have their ways, don’t they?

  20. Joye

    If I do not feed my dog at the same time each evening, he stands and looks at me in a way that says Feed Me Now
    !

    • babette2016

      My dogs start trying to tell me it’s 3:30 when it’s only 2:30. They know how to tell time, but they’re pretty sure I don’t.

  21. Amy R

    After reading the book, have you recognized times when your animal companions have communicated with you telepathically but you didn’t realize it was happening? I haven’t read the book.

    • babette2016

      I hope you’ll give it a try, and if you have animal companions, you may begin to recognize when they’re communicating with you. I hope so!

  23. Bonnie

    What a wonderful story! I have not yet read the book, but I do agree that animals can communicate with humans telepathically.

    • babette2016

      Hi, Bonnie, I hope that you’ll give the book a try and notice times when you may have communicated with animals even though you didn’t realize it was happening. It’s often so subtle that we don’t recognize it until we know what to look for.

  24. Ellen C.

    I haven’t read the book, but I wouldn’t be surprised if pets were telepathic with those they love.

    • babette2016

      Hi, Ellen, I hope that you give the book a try and maybe realize what it’s like to receive communication from a beloved animal companion. I’d love to hear your own experiences of animal communication one of these days.

  25. Patricia B.

    Not having yet read the book, I am not sure what revelations it has. However, we have been a family who at times has had a surplus of animals. From snakes to llamas and everything in-between, we have had it. Most have been rescues and we have done fostering for the local animal shelter. Whether ours to keep or fosters, they do communicate with us. They have all loved my husband and figure I’m OK. The times we can’t figure out what they want are so frustrating, especially when they are feeling unwell.
    The book sounds delightful. Animal people are special people and those who love them are lucky.

  26. Patricia B.

    Not having yet read the book, I am not sure what revelations it has. However, we have been a family who at times has had a surplus of animals. From snakes to llamas and everything in-between, we have had it. Most have been rescues and we have done fostering for the local animal shelter. Whether ours to keep or fosters, they do communicate with us. They have all loved my husband and figure I’m OK. The times we can’t figure out what they want are so frustrating, especially when they are feeling unwell.
    The book sounds delightful. Animal people are special people and those who love them are lucky

    • babette2016

      Hi, Patricia, I can relate! Our place is also an animal magnet. We haven’t had llamas yet, but there’s still time! I hope you read and enjoy the book.

    • babette2016

      I’m sorry your allergies prevent you from having animal companions in your home. My husband developed allergies several years ago, and it was torture for me to ban the dogs and cats from sleeping on the bed. Maybe try connecting with the wild animals who live near you. They often have a lot to say!

  29. laurieg72

    Growing up my dog, Sandy, always seemed to be more attentive when something was bothering me. He would seek me out, sit next to me, encourage me to play with him or bring his leash over so I’d take him for a walk.

    • babette2016

      Our animal companions often try to help us process emotions in healthy ways, like taking walks. It’s great that you picked up on that communication!

  33. Tina R

    Yes, I have. We lost our dog a few years ago, and I’ve found he still tries to communicate with us.