Spotlight & Giveaway: Whiskey and Sunset Nights by T.L. Anderson

Today it is my pleasure to Welcome author T.L. Anderson to HJ!

Hi T.L. Anderson and welcome to HJ! We’re so excited to chat with you about your new release, Whiskey and Sunset Nights – Single Dad’s Romance!

 
Thanks for having me! I’m excited to be here.
 

Tell us about the book with this fun little challenge using the title of the book:

W – is for what could possibly go wrong falling for your deceased wife’s best friend?
H – is for hot summer nights drinking whiskey on the porch.
I – is for ignoring my heart at every corner because I’m stubborn.
S – is for sunny days on the beach seeing her soaking in the rays on her tanned skin.
K – is for killing the mood with my own thoughts that won’t quit.
E – is for early morning horse rides with my daughter.
Y – is for a year-long battle trying to heal my heart.

A – is for all of the long days watching my daughter struggle with her loss.
N – is for noticing there’s more to Lily than just a life-long friend.
D – is for driving away when I should have stayed.

S – is for soft-served ice cream dates.
U – is for unbelievable nights together.
N – is for not knowing where the future is heading.
S – is for sweet tea and whiskey.
E – is for everyone knowing what’s happening besides us.
T – is for thunderstorms and rain drowning out our pain.

N – is for northern nights listening to the frogs.
I – is for illness destroying my life.
G – is for good times with family and friends.
H – is for having a support system carry me through.
T – is for a tumultuous life.
S – is for silly tea parties with my daughter.

Please share the opening lines of this book:

I was ten when I met Missy Calhoun. She had bright reddish-yellow hair, the same color as a sunrise in the middle of winter. Her eyes were warm, just like tea mixed with honey, which was my mother’s favorite drink. She had the sweetest smile whenever she was talking about the dogs her family was fostering.

Please tell us a little about the characters in your book.

Grayson has had a great life, he built his dream home and family with his childhood sweetheart. The loss of his wife nearly destroys him, so he packs up his daughter and moves her to his hometown while they both try to heal.
Lily lost her best-friend and soulmate the day she passed away . Watching her god-daughter struggle with the loss of her mom almost destroys her, but her connection with both Ella and Grayson is too strong for the heartbreak to win out. She’s strong-willed, level-headed and refuses to let Grayson disappear into himself.

Please share a few Fun facts about this book…

• I centered the book around the area I grew up and currently live. Up north is my favorite place to be.
• Grayson’s story has been living in my head for over four years, I just never felt it was the right time to write it until now.
• Lily and Missy’s friendship is based on my own best friend ‘s connection with me (without the life-threatening disease and falling for our significant others)

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

The moment Lily Dean shows up in his father’s kitchen Grayson is whisked back in time. The days of catching frogs in the pond together and the years of family vacations being spent with Lily tagging along. As they slowly get closer while working through their grief, his heart starts to open a little.
Lily can’t help but see the pain etched into Grayson’s eyes the moment she sees him. It’s been a year since she saw him at the funeral, but seeing him standing there in his dad’s kitchen everything feels like it was just yesterday. Her heart aches to help him heal but her own pain is just too strong. Until the day she sees him with Ella outside her store, his body glistening in sweat from the summer heat has her eyes roaming over parts it shouldn’t be.

The First Kiss…

It takes a bit for them to reach this point, they’re both living in their grief but can’t deny the attraction. It takes a bit of stubborness on Grayson’s part to fight off the lingering doubt. They both decide to live in the moment, not to live in the what if’s. Once their lips meet, it’s hard to fight the attraction.

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

Probably the scene where they first let their guards down with each other. It embodies the pull they’ve been fighting, but also the undeniable desire they both have.

He relaxes under my touch as he leans forward, his body circling mine without touching me. “I don’t want to just live life,” he whispers.
I stare up into his eyes, excitement and need heating my body. “Me either,” I whisper back. I glance back to shore and see Ella building a sand castle next to the blanket. She’s content, not paying any attention to either of us. “I want more, Grayson. Since you’ve been home, I’ve…”
“Been fighting this pull?” he asks, his voice deeper than before. “I have, too. But you’re the only one who sees me for who I am.” He leans down closer, hovering just a few inches from my face. He spins me so his back is to the beach and I’m hidden from the view of others. “Tell me this is something you don’t want, and I’ll back off.”
I wrap my arms around his waist, pulling myself against him. “Never. If I did, it would be a lie.”
He scans my face. His hand reaches up and slides against my cheek, his thumb rubs along my lips. He pulls my lip out from between my teeth. “If you’re worried about this, I’ll turn around and act like nothing happened. We can go back to living life.”
I shake my head. “Just shut up and kiss me, Grayson Pierce.”

If your hero had a sexy-times play list, what song(s) would have to be on it?

Probably some country music, maybe Luke Bryan or some other type of songs. He’s not a huge music fan. But Lily for sure would throw on some old 80’s and 90’s R&B like I Wanna Sex You Up by Color Me Badd or Freak Me by Silk.

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

It’s okay to let your heart heal, stop denying the feelings.

What are you currently working on? What are your up-coming releases?*

Currently I’m working on book three in the Queen of the Underworld series. Then I have a future contemporary romance I’ll be starting, the title hasn’t been released yet.
 

Thanks for blogging at HJ!

Giveaway: One winner will get a $10 Amazon gift card and an ebook copy of one of my backlisted titles (winner’s choice)!

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Excerpt from Whiskey and Sunset Nights – Single Dad’s Romance:

“Ella, don’t forget your swimsuit,” I call out from the kitchen. I have a slew of sandwiches laid out in front of me, ranging from peanut butter and jelly to turkey with salami. I grab a few water bottles out of the fridge and toss them in the small cooler.
“Hey, man, I heard you, Ella, and Lily are going down to the lake today.” Asher appears at my side, leaning against the counter and eyeing me curiously.
Glancing at him, I see the smug look on his face. “Why are you looking at me like that?”
His lips curve upwards as he chuckles. Crossing his arms, he relaxes back casually like he’s got a hidden secret he wants me to ask about. “Like what? I’m just asking my big brother what he has planned today with the pretty girl from his hometown.”
And there it is. I wait for the pang of guilt to hit, but it doesn’t come. ”It’s just Lily. We’re friends—have been for years. Ella is opening up to her, so why not hang out with her for the day? Ella needs the company.”
He stares at me, the smile still sitting there in all its annoying glory. “Sure that’s it?”
Now my irritation is rising. I clench my fist at my side to control my anger. The fact he’s calling me out is part of the issue, but it’s mostly that he can see through me that easily. “That’s it,” I state. I grab a few napkins and shove them into the cooler a little rougher than I mean to.
“Uh huh,” he shakes his head. “You can lie to yourself, but you’ll eventually need to accept what’s happening here.”
I hate when he speaks the truth, especially when it makes him sound wiser than his years. “There’s nothing happening, Asher. Just leave it be.”
He pushes off the counter and walks over to the fridge. I notice he’s wearing his swim trunks. “Are you going with us?” The words come out more of an accusation than an invitation.
He turns from the fridge, looking at me with a cocked eyebrow. “If there’s nothing going on, then why the irritation if I go with?”
Shit, he’s right. I shrug but don’t respond. I don’t need to defend myself to him. I can’t, even if I wanted to.
“For your information, I am not going with today. I’m meeting Ben and Trudy down at the river. We’re going tubing together.” I release a sigh, and he laughs. “Yeah, nothing is happening between you two.” He shakes his head, his shaggy blond hair tumbling on his ears with the movement. “It’s good, man. Take your time. This is all new territory for both of you.” He starts walking out of the kitchen but says over his shoulder, “For the record, I think this is a good thing. I can see the difference in you. You seem… happy.”
He disappears from view, leaving me to my thoughts, which have me so confused. I’m excited to see Lily now, and as my pulse races, I wonder if she’s excited to see me too.
***
“Dad, I thought we were going to take the horses today,” Ella whines while sitting in the back of the side by side. She has the cooler next to her on the floor.
Lily is up front next to me, her brown hair piled on top of her head and her tanned skin peeking out from the white tank top showing off the blue strap to her swimsuit. I pull my gaze back to the trail in front of us. “It’s too hot, Ells. It’s supposed to be ninety degrees today. The horses can get heat exhaustion.”
She huffs but doesn’t argue. She loves her pony; she has grown so close to it over the last few weeks, taking care of it every day. She named it Oreo even, and at night, she says a prayer to keep Oreo safe from the other animals. I know she understands, but she’s just six years old and gets her hopes up easily.
“Don’t worry, Ell. We can go for a ride another day. I’ll come back over when it’s not so hot out, and you and I can take them around the trails.” Lily turns in her seat to look at her. “We’ll make a whole day out of it. You and me.”
Ella lights up at that. “Okay, but let’s make sure it doesn’t get too hot. I don’t want Oreo to get sick.”
“Sounds like a plan.” Lily smiles. She faces me, her sunglasses covering her vibrant blue eyes. Her pink lips part. “If that’s okay with you, Gray.”
“I think it would be good. Living life and all.” I glance at her, and my pulse picks up. She’s staring at me, biting her lip again. “You should stop doing that. It looks like it hurts.”
She tilts her head. “Stop doing what?”
I pull up next to the lake, putting the side by side in park. “Biting your lip. You do it when you’re overthinking things. It looks painful.”

Excerpts. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
 
 

Book Info:

Grayson

After losing the love of his life to cancer, Grayson Pierce finds himself struggling with his new normal as a single dad. Moving back home to southern Minnesota with his five-year-old daughter Ella, feels like the only option to keep his sanity.

Living on his family farm, he spends his days taking care of Ella and running his construction company – working small jobs to keep his mind off things. Until Lily Dean shows up in his kitchen.

Lily

Losing her best friend to cancer was the worst thing that could have happened to her. Having Ella and Grayson back in her hometown, keeps the memories of her friend burning in her mind.

Spending her days running her own bookstore, Lily takes Ella under her wing, allowing her to explore the world of books and helping her cope with the loss of her mother. But then, there’s Grayson.

He’s her best friend’s husband, or was.

With each passing day, Lily and Grayson find their once casual friendship slowly flourishing into something more.

Can they work through their respective loss and let love in or are they destined for nothing more than a few shots of whiskey and sunset nights?

Whiskey and Sunset Nights is part of the Single Dad’s Romance series, a multi-author series of standalone novels. Seven single dads, all from different walks of life and doing the best they can to raise their children – are ready to make you fall in love.
Book Links: Amazon |
 
 

Meet the Author:

T. L. Anderson currently lives in Wisconsin where it’s freezing cold in the winter and has five months of enjoyable weather year round. Her house is filled with constant chaos between her teenage daughter and infant son, two rambunctious dogs, a stubborn cat, and guinea pigs that keep her and her husband on their toes.

Since the age of three, she has loved reading and creating her own stories in her mind. Now her passion has developed into a career. After earning a certificate from the Children’s Institute of Literature she decided it was time to put the multiple characters in her head onto paper so she can share their stories with the world.

She’s the author of multiple novels which include new adult, romantic suspense, and paranormal reverse harem.

She has a slight obsession with doughnuts, coffee, and dinosaurs. When she’s not writing you can find her lurking on social media looking for new books to read, taking care of her mini-zoo at home, or having her nose stuck in a book.
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