Guest Post & Giveaway: Ivy Entwined by Laura Simcox

I am excited to be a part of this blog tour. Today I have a guest post from the author of Ivy Entwined, Laura Simcox. Enjoy!

When Ivy Callahan returns to her hometown as mayor, she doesn’t expect much to have changed. But now her ex-fiancé is the town planner, the biggest business is closed, and the only store interested in Celebration, NY is a Megamart. On top of it all, the liaison for the big, bad, box store is Marcus Weaver, her childhood crush. And he’s still as dangerously delectable as ever. Marcus unwillingly spent his teens in Celebration with his vindictive, drunken uncle. As far as Marcus is concerned, the town’s only use is to cement his rise up the corporate ladder. He needs that Megamart opened, and Ivy is his ticket. But the sexy, stubborn mayor could also be his downfall. As the unemployed townspeople put on the pressure, Ivy needs to do something. With a fresh downtown-renewal project in the works, Ivy could stop Marcus and his Megamart before they kill the town’s spirit. But with sparks flying between Ivy and Marcus, they each need to decide what’s more important: their careers or their hearts.

You Can Purchase the book here: Amazon /Barnes & Noble
 

Guest Post:



No Celebration is Perfect

 There’s a reason why white picket fences, winding cobblestone streets and overflowing flower boxes are such iconic images of small town life. They offer a glimpse into domestic perfection, where your neighbors are friendly, your dog is the best dog in the world, your garden is abundant and your porch swing is perfectly calibrated for lulling you into…boredom. Yep, mind-numbing boredom. And not just because the town is small, but because nothing juicy ever really happens.

We all want juicy, don’t we? Especially in romance. So when I went about creating Celebration, NY, the setting for Ivy Entwined, I knew that it couldn’t be greeting card perfect, despite the name. Not by a long shot. You see, I’ve lived in small towns, as I’m sure many of you have. And small towns DO have charm, and no matter what visitors’ bureau brochures say, the charm does not lie in a historic clock tower or a two block stretch of gracious homes. The charm lies in idiosyncrasies. Special, unique characteristics that grow authentically over time are what make small towns awesome.

That sense of authenticity combined with my wacko sense of humor are what gave birth to Celebration: a town where people are out of work, but they celebrate holidays like it’s their job. It’s the reason for tattered but proud tinsel wreaths on every street lamp, ugly Christmas sweater parties and parades in near-zero temperatures. The people of the town come together…a lot of the time because of civic pride, but some of the time because they have to even when they don’t want to, just like all extended families. It’s why a retired, cat-obsessed English teacher and a donut-obsessed grocery store manager both serve on the town council. And it’s why Ivy, the heroine of my story, fills her father’s shoes as mayor…and why the delicious guy she crushed on in junior high comes back and tries to save the town, on his own terms. Which definitely aren’t hers.

The picket fences in Celebration are peeling, potholes fill the streets and there aren’t any flowers because it’s freaking freezing outside. But I’d still love for you to stop on by, talk to Ivy’s potty-mouthed grandma, eat some French toast at the diner, and get the latest gossip!

 

About the Author:

After spending twenty years in professional theater as a costume designer, with a few of those years also spent as a college instructor, Laura abandoned the nomadic lifestyle to sit in a comfy pleather office chair at a beat up ginormous second hand oak desk and write. The result? Romance novels! Her favorite thing ever since she was, oh, about twelve. She writes contemporary, light novels and enjoys creating quirky characters and funny dialogue. Still, the love story is the focus and Laura has a huge soft spot for a sappy, happy ending. She lives in North Carolina with her husband (true love is real!) and her adorable, high energy four year old son who is currently obsessed with pirates. When not playing mamma pirate, she loves hearing from readers and you can find your favorite way to say hi via the social media buttons on her website: www.laurasimcox.com

Having a bad day? Read a romance novel.

Website/Facebook/Twitter/Goodreads/Pinterest 

 

Giveaway:

Grand Prize - ‘Celebration in a Basket’. (In keeping with the series theme - ‘Something to Celebrate’) Includes: fun party supplies for a girlfriends-type party (champagne glasses, napkins and plates, party food recipe cards written by the author), Mardis Gras style beads, candles, chocolate, hard candy, and a deck of ‘Ivy Entwined’ playing cards.

 

Three runner-up swag bags - Includes: Ivy Entwined bookmarks, magnets, pens and a purse charm-style keychain. Each bag will contain two sets…one for the winner and one for a friend who loves to read romance, too!

a Rafflecopter giveaway