Welcome to Teaser Tuesday, where I share snippets of new and past releases and works-in-progress, and sometimes tempt author buddies into doing the same. With today being one of those days. Whoop! But before we get onto our faaaaabulous guest, news from the Hein house.
With books one and two in the new Outback Brides series out, the countdown to Serenity’s Song’s release is well and truly on. It’s been wonderful to watch Kelly Hunter’s Matilda Next Door and Fiona McArthur’s Maeve’s Baby rocket up the charts and see all the gorgeous reviews they’ve been receiving. Although, to be honest, that does make me a tad nervous too. I don’t want to let the side down!
I’ll be sending out a newsletter tomorrow with a behind the scenes story about some of the inspiration behind Serenity’s Song, along with other cool stuff. If you’re not already part of the team, join here. Not only will be part of the groovy gang, you’ll also score access to a bunch of freebie stories in thanks.
Which also reminds me, I’ll start posting out personally signed copies of Serenity’s Song from the week beginning August 17th, which means there’s still time to get your order in. It’s easy to order too. Simply visit my new bookstore and tap/click away.
Getting back to groovy people, I’m absolutely delighted to host our guest today. Sarah Williams exploded on the rural romance scene with The Brothers of Brigadier Station and hasn’t looked back since, with best-selling titles like The Legacies of Brigadier Station, The Dairy Farmer’s Daughter, Christmas at Brigadier Station, and now her new release, Their Perfect Blend.
If you love your ru-ro, which of course you do, you’ll love Sarah’s books. And if you keep reading, you might even be able to win one.
Please give a big cheerio to Sarah and discover more about Their Perfect Blend.
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Thanks so much for having me! I’m so excited to share with you the second in my Heart of the Hinterland series. Their Perfect Blend is set in my small hometown of Maleny, Queensland where Greer Montgomery has enjoyed a successful career as a world-renowned chef. But after returning home just before her thirtieth birthday to run the family’s farm café, she worries there’s one recipe her culinary skills will never make: a child. And with few eligible bachelors her age in her tight-knit country town, she approaches her friend’s handsome brother to be her baby-daddy.
Today’s teaser starts at chapter 1.
I hope you enjoy this small town, rural romance.
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Greer Montgomery shifted her mouse so the arrow on the computer screen hovered over the tab titled Using donor sperm and clicked.
She cruised over the myriad of headings and information before stopping on the third line. How to choose a sperm donor.
She clicked again, then paused. Was this really what she wanted? Letting go of the mouse, she stretched back, entwining her fingers together behind her head. She took a long, deep breath and turned away from the computer to stare out the huge windows where the first brilliant rays of sunshine poured in. Greer studied the rolling green pastures. She would never get sick of that view. It was the same view she had grown up gazing upon. The same paddocks she had spent her childhood running through and exploring.
“Morning, sis.” Freya’s voice jolted Greer from her thoughts and before she could minimise the search window, her younger sister was wrapping her arms and her cow stench around her.
“Shit, Freya. Where did you come from?” She moved to close the laptop but Freya stilled her hand.
“Hey what’s this?” Freya peered over Greer’s shoulder and read from the website. “The reasons for people needing to access donor sperm are varied, and include heterosexual couples having difficulty conceiving because of male reproductive issues, women in same-sex relationships keen to start a family, and single women who want to have a child.”
Greer sighed. “A desperate woman’s last chance.”
Freya and Greer had casually chatted about fertility treatments and other options Greer could consider. She was desperate to have a baby of her own, and with her thirtieth birthday only a few months away, she was hearing the clanging of her biological clock louder than ever.
“I know we joked about it the other day, but I didn’t think you were really that serious.” Freya moved to sit on the stool beside her sister.
“Look at this.” Greer brought up another screen with more facts on it before reading aloud. “According to the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, a healthy thirty-year-old woman has about a twenty per cent chance of getting pregnant each month, while a forty-year-old woman has about a five per cent chance. The reason for this is your ovarian reserve, the quality and quantity of your eggs.”
“Twenty per cent? And to think that at school we were taught how to avoid getting pregnant.”
Greer turned to her sister. This was serious. Her future happiness rested on what she did now. “I want at least one baby, maybe two, with a spacing of two to three years in between. I have to start now or I’m going to run out of time.”
Freya reached her arm around Greer’s shoulder and squeezed. “What about fate? You never know when you’re going to meet the one. He could walk into the café tomorrow.”
“Not all of us are as lucky as you.” Greer hated the pang of envy she felt when she saw Freya and Justin together. Theirs had been love at first sight. Destiny and all that jazz. But Greer had never even come close to being in love. Her career had always been her first priority—cooking in a Michelin-starred restaurant, learning recipes and techniques from some of the world’s best.
With that goal accomplished, she had moved on to the next—becoming a mother. She had expected love and family to fall into place when she moved back to Maleny. But two years on, life had not played out that way at all.
“You really think someone’s going to come to our farm and whisk me off my feet? I mean, there are no eligible men left in the area. Why do they all marry so young here? All the good ones are taken, and the rest have moved away.”
“What about online dating then? He doesn’t have to be a local.”
Greer shook her head. “I love living here. We have the business and our family. This is where I want to raise my children. I don’t want to have to move or have a long-distance relationship.” Greer dropped her head into her hands and leaned over the kitchen bench.
She could be a single mum. It would be fine. Her family would support her, and she had enough male relatives to make sure her offspring didn’t miss out on anything of testosterone importance.
“Do Mum and Dad know what you’re planning?”
Greer shook her head against her hands. She wasn’t ready to discuss it with her folks just yet—not until she’d made her final decision. They’d support her no matter what decision she made.
“Well, whatever you decide to do, Justin and I are here for you. We love you.”
Greer raised her head and looked at her sister with her big brown eyes and kind features. Justin was a lucky man. “When’s he back from Brisbane?”
“This afternoon.” Freya’s face brightened with that lovesick glow.
“That’s nice he’s home for the weekend. I am so happy for you.” Greer smiled and busied herself preparing breakfast as Freya talked about their upcoming plans.
Freya had recently moved in with Justin at his house next door, but she got awfully lonely when he wasn’t there, so often stayed with her family while he was away.
“We have a plumber coming tomorrow. I can’t wait for the bathroom refit,” Freya said. The simple house was in desperate need of renovations and the couple were excited to make it their own. The dairy farm that it sat on was being leased by Greer’s family, and had proven a profitable business decision for the Emerald Hills empire.
Justin wasn’t a farmer and had never pretended to be one. He had recently turned down a huge offer on his late father’s property in order to keep it as a working dairy farm. It had been a startling move, but he didn’t seem to regret it.
Greer loved being a part of their family business. Moving home to open the café had been a big decision, but it had been the right one for her. The hustle and bustle of the big cities had finally surpassed Greer’s country-girl tolerance, and after a decade, enough was enough. Now she was home and her café was doing a brilliant trade bringing in hungry tourists after their farm tour or cheese tasting. The only thing missing was a man to share her life with and children to watch grow. She could only wish that she might one day meet someone who made her as happy as Justin made Freya.
She couldn’t deny her envious thoughts that her younger sister had met her soulmate before her. And while she still dreamed of one day meeting someone, the yearning to have a baby far outweighed snatching Mr Right first.
Greer’s heart sank a little more as she poured the batter for the pancakes into the heated pan. “Go wash up, will you? As much as I love your perfume of choice, it does not make for a great aperitif before breakfast.”
Freya playfully poked out her tongue before heading to the bathroom.
Left alone to finish cooking, Greer’s thoughts returned to her current dilemma.
Would she ever hold her own child in her arms? Or would she end up being the single aunty who baked special treats and birthday cakes for her nieces and nephews? The spinster sister surrounded by all her cookbooks and fancy kitchen appliances but with no family of her own.
No. This was the twenty-first century. Women had babies on their own all the time and she was a strong, independent woman who could do anything she set her mind to. It was time to stop dreaming and start acting. Being a mother had always been in her plan. It was the next step in her life, and something she desperately wanted.
Even if it meant doing it on her own.
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Wow. How fab was that excerpt? You’ll want to grab a copy of Their Perfect Blend right now after reading that. And you can, simply by visiting any of these stores:
Amazon.com | Amazon.au | Amazon.uk
Kobo | Apple Books | Nook | Google Play
Now, as mentioned in the intro, we have a…
GIVEAWAY!
For your chance to win an ebook copy of Their Perfect Blend, you’ll need to do two things.
First, let us know what your perfect blend is. It could be anything!
Maybe you’re a true romantic and nominate you and your hubby as your perfect blend. Perhaps you think strawberries and cream can’t be beaten. Maybe Milo and cold milk floats your boat, or perhaps a cold beer on a hot day is a blend made in heaven.
Second, for your entry to be eligible, you’ll need to join Sarah’s mailing list, which you can do here (scroll down for the signup link – it‘s the one that says Download your FREE book today). Not only will you never miss any of Sarah’s news, you’ll also score you a free copy of The Outback Governess. Bonus!
For me, other than me and Jim being the perfect blend – I know, I know, but I AM a romance author – I’m going to go for gin and tonic. Spirits have never really been my thing, but I adore gin and since it’s become trendy there are all sorts of cool gins on the market. I’m particularly fond of a local Hunter Valley version called The Farmer’s Wife.
What about you? What’s your favourite pairing? Let us know and join Sarah’s mailing list and you’ll go into the draw to win an ebook copy of Their Perfect Blend.
Please note: Giveaway closes midnight, Australian Eastern Standard Time, Friday 14th August 2020. To be eligible, entrants must leave a comment and subscribe to Sarah’s newsletter. Open worldwide.
If you’d like to learn more about Sarah and her books, please visit her website. You can also connect on Facebook and Instagram.
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