Blog Tour: Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis-Graves | Giveaway & Excerpt

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Heart-Shaped Hack
Kate & Ian #1
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Reading Level: Adult
Genres: Contemporary Romance | Chick Lit
Review Source: Blog Tour
 

When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

Where do I begin because truly I loved everything about this book. From the beautiful cover to the storyline and its fantastic characters that had the best chemistry. It safe to assume that I would like the book, I have yet to read a book written by Tracey that I didn't love. It all started with On the Island and now Heart-Shaped Hack joins the crowd. This is an author I have as auto-buy, they wrote it, I buy it.

Heart-Shaped Hack is a story that is about Kate and Ian. Kate used to be this high-shot lawyer and gave it all up to open a food bank to feed those in need. Trouble with a place like that is the money that keeps it afloat. Kate and the food bank survive off food and monetary donations and right now everything is looking very low. That is until a unanimous person donates a large cash donation. Kate is set on finding out who this person is so she can thank them personally. Cue in Ian, probably not who Kate expected and definitely wasn't expecting the resources Ian uses to obtain his money. Kate is now on the fence if everything is legal or not and maybe she shouldn't accept more donations from Ian. One thing I will tell you, Ian is a hard man to ignore and he will make sure that you can't ignore or avoid him. 

Will a ex-lawyer and smart hacker make a good duo? You'll have to find out where things lead too. Will Kate continue to accept the donations so that the food bank can survive or will she turn around and tell Ian no. What measures will Ian take to get on Kate's radar not just for business reason but personal reasons too. Can a romance begin here or will it crash like a computer? Grab your copy of Heart-Shaped Hack and find out for yourselves.

I highly recommend this book along with all of the other books written by Tracey. You will not be disappointed. I can't wait to read more about these two and see where Tracey takes the story next. 

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Here's an excerpt from Heart-Shaped Hack:

She turned the corner onto her street, then stopped short when she saw a flash of blue. Ian’s car was parked at the curb, and he was leaning up against it, smiling. 

Her Sunday had just gotten a whole lot more interesting. 

She walked up to him. “Are you ever not smiling?”

“Why wouldn’t I be smiling? It’s awesome being me.” 

“Been waiting long?”

“About an hour. I’d almost given up on you.”

“I was at brunch with the girls.”

He checked her out, not bothering to hide the way his gaze traveled slowly from her head to her feet. “You look amazing. I am fascinated by those boots.” 

Kate unbelted her trench coat. “What about my sweater? A friend bought several of them for me.” 

“It’s very nice, and that is an excellent color on you. What else did this friend buy you?”

“He bought me some pajamas. I love them.” 

“He thought you might. Was there anything else?”

“There was a black babydoll nightie.” 

“Did it fit?”

“It fit perfectly. I’m going to save it for a special evening should there be one in my future.” 

“Oh there will be, Katie. He’ll make sure of it.” He opened the passenger door. “I was wondering if you have plans for the rest of the day.” 

Kate got in, and after Ian closed the door, he walked around to the driver’s side and slid behind the wheel. 

“That depends,” she said. “What did you have in mind?”

He started the car. “You’ll see.”

AUTHOR BIO:
Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish.

Tracey loves to interact with her readers and can be found on Facebook | Twitter | Goodreads | Amazon

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Release Day Blitz: Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves | Excerpt | Giveaway

Here at OUaT we have read Heart-Shaped Hack and LOVED it!!! We strongly suggest if you love contemporary romances, then you'll want to add Heart-Shaped Hack to your reading list!!!

When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

Add to Goodreads | AMAZON | Barnes & Noble | iBooks

© 2015 Tracey Garvis Graves

Heart-Shaped Hack

EXCERPT

“Oh, hi,” she said. 

“Imagine running into you here.” 

“This is quite a coincidence.”

“It’s not a coincidence at all. I knew you were following me.” 

“You did not.” 

“I spotted you hiding behind the plant when I walked into the bank. Plus I could smell your perfume as soon as I stepped out here.” 

“Did you”—she used her fingers to make little air quotes—“appropriate money from this bank?” she whispered. 

“Of course not. I do all my work from the Batcave. Believe it or not, I actually bank here. I was just signing some papers.” 

Kate had never seen a man look so utterly scrumptious while wearing glasses. There was something about the combination of his hair, his scruff, and the semi-rimless designer frames that made him irresistible. “Are the glasses a disguise? Because I totally knew it was you.”

“The glasses are real. I often suffer from eyestrain since I spend so much time on the computer, and I was up late last night, working.” 

“They make you look very smart.” She took a moment to imagine how his scruff would feel rubbing against her skin if he were to kiss her. 

“I am smart, but I think you mean devastatingly handsome. More so than normal, that is.” 

“You’re so humble.” 

“Ready?” He walked to the door and held it open for her. 

“Yes.” 

“Follow me.” He looked at her and laughed. “That shouldn’t be a problem for you.” 

They took the elevator to the basement, and when the doors opened to the parking garage, Kate followed Ian to a row of cars. He stopped beside one and pulled a set of keys from his pocket. 

She gasped. 

Ian smiled. “It’s a—”

“1964 Shelby Daytona Cobra Coupe.”

“’65. But color me impressed.” 

“My brother Chad was obsessed with this car. He used to have a poster of it on his bedroom wall. There were only six built between 1964 and 1965.” 

“A bit rare indeed.” 

The last authentic Shelby had sold at auction for around seven million. Ian’s was obviously a replica, of which there were quite a few, but it was still a very notable vehicle with a price tag that started in the low six figures. “Helena called it an old blue car.” 

He grinned, looking contemplative. “Technically, that is correct.” 

Kate could not resist running her hand lightly over the Guardsman Blue paint and the white racing stripes on the hood. The Shelby was unmistakably race-car-like in appearance with its aerodynamic design and unique body style. Chad was going to be so jealous. “For someone who values his privacy, isn’t this a bit ostentatious?”

“How so?”

“Rakishly handsome playboy who makes grand philanthropic gestures and drives a flashy car. Any of this ringing a bell?”

“Rakishly handsome playboy?”

“Well, if the Prada loafer fits. Wouldn’t you fly under the radar more easily in, say, a Ford Focus?” she asked. 

“A Ford Focus? You want me to tool around town in a Ford Focus? Jesus, would I still have my balls?”

“No, they cut them off when they hand you the keys. Of course you’d still have your balls. What kind of question is that? This conversation has gotten way off track.” 

“You mean because we started out talking about my car and now we’re talking about my balls?”

“Are we?” 

“I believe so.” 

“Maybe we should go back to talking about your car.” 

“You want to drive it, don’t you?”

“Why would I want to drive your car?”

“Why wouldn’t you want to drive my car? Can you handle a stick shift?” 

“Yes, and rather competently I might add.” 

“That’s an enormous turn-on. Truly.” 

She pretended not to hear him. “This is not a good car for Minnesota winters.” 

“Horrible, I agree. My other car has four-wheel drive, but it’s not nearly as fun to operate as this one.” Ian dangled the keys in front of her. 

He was right. Kate was dying to drive his car and couldn’t wait to see how it handled. She took the keys, opened the door, and reached over to unlock the passenger side for Ian. They belted up, and she started the car. 

“Please note that I’m already making good on my promise, Katie. Because I assure you, driving this car will be the opposite of boring.”

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Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish. 

Tracey loves to interact with her readers and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Goodreads     Amazon Author Page

Cover Reveal: Heart-Shaped Hack by Tracey Garvis Graves + Chapter 1 Reveal

Super excited to share with you all one of our favorite authors here on OUaT upcoming release.

HEART-SHAPED HACK

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When Kate Watts abandoned her law career to open a food pantry in Northeast Minneapolis, she never dreamed it would be this difficult. Facing the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away, she is grateful for the anonymous donations that begin appearing at the end of each month. Determined to identify and thank her secret benefactor, she launches a plan and catches Ian —a charismatic hacker with a Robin Hood complex—in the act.

Ian intrigues Kate in a way no man ever has. But after learning he’s snooped around on her personal computer, she demands retribution. Impressed with her tolerance and captivated by her spirit, he complies and begins to slowly charm his way past her defenses. Time spent with Ian is never boring, and Kate soon finds herself falling for the mysterious hacker.

But Ian has enemies and they’re growing restless. In the hacking world, exploiting a target’s weakness is paramount, and no price is too high to stop an attack. And when Kate learns exactly how much Ian has paid, she’ll discover just how strong her love is for the man who has hacked his way into her heart.

© 2015 Tracey Garvis Graves

Heart-Shaped Hack

CHAPTER ONE

“The babies are going to starve,” Helena said. 

“Don’t be so dramatic,” Kate replied. “No one is going to starve, least of all the babies.” But her pinched expression and the way she was jabbing at the keyboard as she refreshed the donations page on their website said otherwise. For the first time in the sixteen months since Kate had left her position as a corporate attorney to open the food pantry, she faced the heartbreaking prospect of turning hungry people away. She couldn’t stand the thought of letting down her regulars, especially the young mother of three who relied on the pantry to feed them. 

The problem was that Kate’s nonprofit organization was not the only one in Minneapolis that needed help. Tomorrow was the first of September, and everyone was trying to stockpile whatever resources they could before they headed into the colder months. 

“Let’s see,” Helena said. “We could rob a bank. We could pawn our valuables. You could sell your body on a street corner.” 

Despite their dire circumstances, Kate cracked a smile. Helena had walked through the front door of the food pantry shortly after Kate opened and said, “I’m sixty-five, and they’re forcing me to retire from my job at the insurance company. My husband retired two years ago, and now he’s home all day. That’s too much togetherness for us. I have to find something to do outside the house, and you wouldn’t have to pay me much.” Kate hired her on the spot and had never regretted it. 

She swiveled her chair toward Helena. “Why am I always the one who has to sell her body? Why can’t you sell yours?”

“Who do you think is going to bring in more money? A gray-haired grandmother of seven, or a willowy twenty-nine-year-old beauty? It’s a no-brainer.” 

It was hard to argue with logic like that. 

Kate had been so determined not to let down their clients that she’d resorted to begging her ex-boyfriend Stuart—who worked as the executive producer on an hour-long talk show on the local ABC station—to let her appeal to the public during the afternoon broadcast. 

“Do you know how hard it is for me to be around you, Kate?” Stuart said when he received her call. “Do you ever think of that?”

“Of course I do. But this is really important to me.” 

“I used to be really important to you.”  

Kate remained silent. They’d been through this before.

He sighed in defeat. “Come in tomorrow. I’ll squeeze you in after the cooking segment.” 

“Thanks, Stuart.” 

The skirt had been Helena’s idea. “We need to do whatever we can to grab viewers’ attention.”  

“You mean I need to do whatever I can.”  

“Of course I mean you. You have great legs.”

On the day of the broadcast when Helena arrived at the food pantry, Kate said, “I don’t remember this skirt being quite so short. I’m actually a little worried about the type of viewer I might attract with it.” She tugged on the hem, pulled out her desk chair, sat down, and crossed her legs. “Can you see anything?” 

 “You’ll be fine unless you decide to recross your legs in the middle of the segment like Sharon Stone did in that one movie.”   

“I can assure you I will not be doing that. The skirt is as far as I’m willing to go. I draw the line at flashing people, not even for the babies.” 

Kate had paired the black-and-white houndstooth skirt with a black short-sleeve top and her favorite black heels. When she arrived at the TV studio, she ducked into the bathroom to check her teeth for wandering lipstick. Before she left the food pantry she’d applied a raspberry lip stain that Helena claimed looked stunning on her. That morning she’d curled her long dark hair and then brushed through the curls with her fingers so they draped across her shoulders and down her back in loose waves. She’d used plenty of mascara to play up her brown eyes. The extra primping made her feel a little like she was standing on a street corner, but she banished those thoughts. At this point, they needed all the help they could get.

After Stuart snaked the mic up the back of her top, his hands lingering on her skin in a way that made Kate feel sad, he positioned her on a stool and told her to wait for his signal. She kept her legs tightly crossed, and when the light on the camera turned red, he pointed at her and she began to speak. 

“Good afternoon. My name is Kate Watts, and I’m the executive director of the Main Street Food Pantry. As we head into the winter months, our needs—and those of all local food pantries—will be greater than ever.”  Kate stared into the camera, imagining she was speaking directly to anyone who might have the means to help them. 

“No child should ever have to go hungry, and many of our local residents depend on the food pantry to feed their families. I’m here today to personally appeal to you should you have the ability to help us in any way. The families we assist, and especially the children, depend on your generosity more than you could ever imagine. Thank you.” She ended the short segment with the food pantry’s telephone number and street address, and when Stuart gave her the all clear, she reached under her shirt for the microphone and handed it back to him. 

“Thanks, Stuart,” she said, giving him a quick hug. “I really appreciate this.”  

“Sure,” he said, looking over her shoulder as if there was something very interesting across the room. “Take care, Kate.” 

That was yesterday, and so far only a few additional donations had trickled in. She and Helena spent the rest of the afternoon making calls to local churches and schools to set up additional food drives while continuing to monitor the donations page. Finally, at a little before three, Kate went into the back room to recount their inventory. It was the end of the month and they were down to their last cases of infant formula and baby food. Almost all of the canned vegetables had been depleted, and they were completely out of peanut butter and soup. If it was this bad now, Kate didn’t want to think about what might happen when budgets were stretched even thinner by holiday spending. Dejected, she was sitting on the floor, clipboard in hand, when Helena burst into the back room. 

“I ran after him,” she said, gasping for breath. “But he was too fast. Boy am I out of shape.”

“Who did you run after?”  

Helena tossed a brown paper bag to Kate and leaned over, resting her hands on her knees as she took in giant gulps of air.

“The man who dropped off the money. Seriously, I may need supplemental oxygen over here.” 

Money? 

Kate looked into the bag and blinked several times. “Did you lock the front door?”

“Yes.”

She turned the bag upside down and watched in disbelief as hundred-dollar bills rained down on the concrete floor. She counted it quickly. “There’s a thousand dollars here.” 

Their website listed four levels for donations with amounts ranging from ten to one hundred dollars. There were higher amounts for corporations, but this was the largest donation they’d ever received from one person, and it was more than enough to replenish their shelves. Kate was already picturing herself pushing a giant cart through Costco. “Did he leave his name?”

“No. He walked up to my desk and said, “Give this to Katie. He must have seen you on TV yesterday.” 

“Young? Old?” Rich?

“Young. Early thirties, maybe? Tall. Blondish-brown hair. He was in a real hurry to leave. I chased him out the door, but he jumped into the driver’s seat of an old blue car.”  

“An old car? Are you sure?” 

“I think it was old. It didn’t look like any car I’ve ever seen. It had stripes on the hood. And then he burned rubber.” 

 “Why would someone who drives an old car drop off a bag full of money?” 

“I have no idea. But whatever the reason, he just saved us.”

Continue Reading Through Chapter 5 HERE

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Tracey Garvis Graves is a New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today bestselling author. Her debut novel, On the Island, spent 9 weeks on the New York Times bestseller list, has been translated into twenty-seven languages, and is in development with MGM and Temple Hill Productions for a feature film. She is also the author of Uncharted, Covet, Every Time I Think of You, and Cherish.

Tracey loves to interact with her readers and can be found on Facebook and Twitter.

Goodreads     Amazon Author Page

Adaptation News: Tracey Garvis Graves' 'On the Island' Gets Writers!

Great news for fans of Tracey Garvis Graves' ON THE ISLAND novel. The writers they penned The Vow will be writing a new draft of the book. Marc Silverstein and Abby Kohn will take on this new project. 

If your not familiar with On the Island, where do I begin in telling you how amazing this novel is. On the Island was first self-publised by Graves back in 2012 and when the book started blowing up Penguin's Plume grabbed the rights. This story is beautiful, from the setting to the characters. It will sweep you off your feet and transport you to the island with Anna and T.J. and make you fall in love.

You can read my 5 star review I shared back in 2012 where I just gush about how much I loved this novel.

When a story connects with the reader and makes the reader smile, laugh, hurt or cry. That is what I call perfection. I can sit here and type all day how much I fell in love with this story.

(click book cover to purchase)

I truly hope the MGM continues to move forward with this adaptation. On the Island is made to be adapted. I can only imagine which tropical island they would choose to film. 

A little more about the writers, Silverstein and Kohn have written several romance stories such as Never Been Kissed, He's Just Not That Into you, Valentine's Day and of course the most recent The Vow which starred Channing Tatum and Rachel McAdams. 

'On the Island' book synopsis:

Two people stranded on an island struggle to survive—and slowly fall in love—in the runaway New York Times bestseller from the author of the forthcoming novel COVET.

Anna Emerson is a thirty-year-old English teacher desperately in need of adventure. Worn down by the cold Chicago winters and a relationship that’s going nowhere, she jumps at the chance to spend the summer on a tropical island tutoring sixteen-year-old T.J.

T.J. Callahan has no desire to go anywhere. His cancer is in remission and he wants to get back to his normal life. But his parents are insisting he spend the summer in the Maldives catching up on all the school he missed last year.

Anna and T.J. board a private plane headed to the Callahan’s summer home, and as they fly over the Maldives’ twelve hundred islands, the unthinkable happens. Their plane crashes in shark-infested waters. They make it to shore, but soon discover that they’re stranded on an uninhabited island.

At first, their only thought is survival. But as the days turn to weeks, and then months, the castaways encounter plenty of other obstacles, including violent tropical storms, the many dangers lurking in the sea, and the possibility that T.J.’s cancer could return. As T.J. celebrates yet another birthday on the island, Anna begins to wonder if the biggest challenge of all might be living with a boy who is gradually becoming a man.

Book Review: Every Time I Think of You by Tracey Garvis Graves

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Every Time I Think of You
Author: Tracey Garvis Graves
Reading Level: Adult Fiction
Genre: Romantic Suspense | Romance
Release Date: September 16th 2014
Review Source: WordSmith Publicity
 

Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

Tracey Garvis Graves has once again won me over with her latest novel. Every Time I Think of You was definitely not what I was expecting. I thought it would be your typical romance novel with the main characters falling in love, having bumps in the road and then everything is back to normal again. Well this novel is not your cookie cutter romance book, thank goodness. It kept me on the tip of my chair literally (more like the edge of my bed since I was reading in bed, lol). 

The author created a novel that brought to the table a love story but included in that was tons of mystery, nail-biting thrills and even some horror. Yes you read that right, like I mentioned before, not your typical love story. I won't lie, at one point in the book I thought I was going to have a heart attack and just kept reading on saying to myself "it can't be". But the ending was my cure and thank you Tracey for that ending. 

I am a fan of these characters that Tracey created, Daisy has been dealt the worst of tragedies you can imagine might happen to a human being and she continues to go forward and protect and nurture her son even though all she wants is to sit in a dark corner and cry. Daisy knows that even though she lost her grandmother, her son survived what could have been a worse outcome, by loosing them both. Cue in Brooks, he has recently move back home to stay with his parents because his mother is suffering from ALS, and the dad needs his help. He has to leave his life in San Francisco on hold and run back to his childhood home. That's what you do when your parents become ill and our slowly dying, right? Well poor Brooks, wasn't expecting to see his mother in such a debilitated condition. My heart heart for both of these characters and the cards they were been dealt.  

This is when Brooks takes up working at the local paper in town while he stays with his folks and gets a call to cover the murder of Daisy's grandmother. This call will put Daisy and Brooks in each other path and will begin to change their futures at first with out them knowing and then it will become clear as day. But when you meet under horrible circumstances, you can expect mountain-size bumps in the road ahead.  But this is the kind of love that is definitely worth fighting for. So be prepared to be taken on a thrilling-romantic ride where you'll learn never to give up and know it's ok to lean on someone for help. 

Can't wait to see what is planned in the future for Tracey Garvis Graves. I have loved everyone of her books starting with On the Island. An author I highly recommend. 

Extra! Extra!: Special Announcement for Author Tracey Garvis-Graves

We are thrilled to announce that best selling author Tracey Garvis-Graves will be releasing an Adult Romantic Suspense novel this year! Please be sure to watch the gorgeous trailer for EVERY TIME I THINK OF YOU, read the excerpt, and don't forget to add it to your reading list!

Title: Every Time I Think of You

Author: Tracey Garvis-Graves

Release date: TBA 2014

Book Description:

Thirty-year-old Daisy DiStefano has two people she holds dear: the grandmother who raised her, and her three-year-old son, Elliott. But when Daisy’s grandmother is killed in a seemingly random act of violence, Daisy must take steps to protect herself and her child.

Despite a thriving career in San Francisco, thirty-six-year-old Brooks McClain has returned home to spend what little time his mother has left before she succumbs to the deadly disease that is ravaging her. The seasoned investigative reporter has taken a position with the local newspaper and been on the job less than twenty-four hours when he’s summoned to cover the death of Pauline Thorpe.

Brooks is all business, but the more time he spends with Daisy DiStefano, the more invested he becomes; there’s something about a single mother, a defenseless child, and an unsolved crime that has stirred Brooks’s protective instincts like nothing ever has before.

And when the unthinkable happens, Brooks will do whatever it takes to clear the name of the woman he’s fallen for and the child he’ll protect at any cost.

Romantic and suspenseful, Every Time I Think of You shows how far two people will go to fight for the ones they love, and the life they’ve always imagined.

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TRAILER

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EXCERPT

My watch said 11:00 p.m. Way too late to show up unannounced, but I knocked on Daisy’s door anyway, picturing her tip-toeing quietly to look through the peephole. It took a full minute because I’d undoubtedly roused her from a sound sleep. But then she opened the door far enough for me to cross the threshold and locked it again behind me.

The apartment was dark, save for a small beam of light that spilled into the hallway from her bedroom. As my eyes adjusted I noticed her hair. I’d never seen it down before. It fell way past her shoulders and was slightly messy, like she’d been tossing and turning in her sleep before I arrived. She wore a pair of pajama pants and a tank top with narrow straps, one of which had fallen off her shoulder.

“What is it?” she asked. “Are you okay?”

“My mom died,” I said. It felt strange to say the words out loud. My voice sounded flat, unemotional.

“I’m so sorry, Brooks,” she said, but she didn’t say anything else.

I wanted something that would take away the empty, restless feeling inside of me. Something solid and real. She was standing close enough that one step was all I needed to close the gap between us. She must have taken a shower right before she went to bed because when I plunged my hands into all that hair, grabbing fistfuls and pulling her up against me, I felt the dampness and smelled the faint traces of her shampoo.

I moved my hands to the sides of her face and cupped it. She didn’t miss a beat when I pressed my lips to hers. She was probably wondering how I could possibly kiss her at a time like this, but it didn’t stop her from putting her arms around me and kissing me back like it was exactly what she needed, too.

Like the steady turn of a release valve, everything that had been bottled up inside of me escaped slowly through that kiss. I hadn’t realized how rigidly I’d been holding my body until it slackened against hers. How tightly I’d been clenching my jaw until I relaxed it to kiss her. All the tension I’d been feeling disappeared when she opened her mouth and let me in.

It was a long slow kiss, the kind that wasn’t meant to lead to anything else and was all the more powerful because of it. When I’d finally had enough I said, “I don’t know why I came. It’s late. I woke you up.”

“It’s okay,” she said softly. “I don’t mind.”

“Go back to bed,” I whispered.

She nodded and I opened the door. “Lock this behind me,” I said, and I waited in the hallway until I heard the tumble of the lock clicking into place.

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About the Author:

Tracey Garvis-Graves is the author of On the Island and Covet. She lives in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa with her husband, two children, and hyper dog Chloe. She blogs at

www.traceygarvisgraves.com using colorful language and a snarky sense of humor to write about pop culture, silly television shows, and her suburban neighborhood. You can e-mail her at traceygarvisgraves@yahoo.com. She’d love to hear from you.

A Saturday Moment with Deitre + Giveaway

Yes, it's up.  It's decorated, it's lite, it's shining bright.  Just in time for Christmas.  On last week the rain didn't stop this family from getting a tree.  There is a little glimpse above.  No unique theme, just years and years of homemade ornaments from the kids and lots of colorful lights.  This week went by fast.  I counted the days and minutes, as it is now time for a wonderful Winter Holiday!  I enjoyed some wonderful music from my daughters orchestra.

Then I had the best time making these yummy snowmen for the youngest's classroom with the help of his big brother.  Yes, Josh stepped away from a book just in time to help.  I couldn't do it without them.  I'm sure there were some happy faces..."WOW we are having a healthy Christmas party treat."  (Are you hearing the giggles in the background?)

So what do you do when you have two weeks off for the Winter Holiday?  You sleep, you shop, you snuggle with your heated blanket and coffee (Butter Toffee, is in the cup now).  You spend time with your family and friends first and foremost and yes, let us not forget you read.  You read that book that you always said you would get to one day.  For me I've got a lot of catching up to do.  I have 2 on my list and I'll even throw in what Josh is currently reading as well.  I'm sure you can guess which one it is.  

Let us know which book is on your Christmas list and guess which book you think Josh is reading out of the choices above.  Leave your comments and your email address (remember I'm old fashion with giveaways for now) for chance to win last week's read Ashes to Ashes By Melissa Walker.  As always Random.org will pick a winner for me late Monday night and I'll email the winner.

So why don't you take some time to relax and dive into a good book during the holidays.
Merry Christmas and Happy Reading!

Deitre