What Was I Thinking by Donna Simonetta with Guest Post and Giveaway

Welcome to the book tour for What Was I Thinking by Donna Simonetta! Today she is telling us about which one of her fictional worlds she would live in if she could. Have you visited this place in her books? Also enjoy an excerpt from her new book and then follow the tour for more fun and chances to win in the giveaway.

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If you could live in one of your books, which one and why?

I do love the fictional town I created for my Rivers Bend trilogy, and it has some appeal, but if I were to live in one of my books I would have to choose Angels Fly. As I write this post, it is currently January in Baltimore, and there is snow on the ground. Which might sound nice to someone, but I am most decidedly NOT a winter person. Until I moved to Maryland, I had lived the rest of my life in New England…Connecticut, Massachusetts, New Hampshire. I got enough winter in those places to last a lifetime, and Angels Fly is set in sunny San Diego.

My brother-in-law moved to San Diego several years ago, and when my husband and I went to visit him there, I fell in love with the city. He was living on a houseboat in a marina right downtown, and it was such a fun neighborhood. The bay, restaurants, bars, excellent people-watching, and best of all––beautiful warmth and sunshine all year long! When I began to write Angels Fly I knew I wanted to set in that neighborhood. So I imagined two fabulous water view condos for James and Kelly.

The setting is only part of the reason I’d choose Angels Fly to live in, if I could. I also love the characters. When I write, I try to create well-rounded characters. And it takes a good bit of time to write a book from inception to publication, so by the time I’m done, I really feel like I know my characters. And all the characters in Angels Fly are people I could see myself being friends with, if I lived in their world. Okay…NOT the fallen angel characters, but the human ones are all nice people. Kelly is even a writer too, albeit a mystery writer and not a romance writer like me. James and she also grew up in Rye, New Hampshire, which is one town over from where my husband and I lived the first year we were married, and was the location of my favorite beach while we lived there. Their group of friends are all smart, funny, and loyal––just like my real-word friends, and I would love to get together with them for cocktails and laughs at a place on the waterfront.

It’s nice to fantasize about living in San Diego on a cold, winter’s day here in Baltimore, but truth be told, my life here is pretty, darned good. And while, I might like to visit the world of Angels Fly, I think I’ll stay right here. And spring and summer have to come back around sometime, right?

What Was I Thinking

A wild Vegas fling isn't the traditional Thanksgiving celebration, and Lily and Jason have been like oil and water since they met. Blaming their steamy hook-up on too many shots at the bar, they head home.

Back in the real world, Jason wonders if he's ready to give up his crown as the Playboy King of Rivers Bend to be with just one woman. And Lily has enough on her plate right now without adding Jason Braden to the mix, even if their attraction is crazy-strong.

But life is good at throwing curveballs, and a lot can happen between Thanksgiving and Valentine's Day. Maybe even enough to lead these two polar opposites home to each other in Rivers Bend.

Read an excerpt:

She felt him stiffen up behind her, and Jason’s tone of voice was defensive. She hadn’t meant to hurt his feelings. “I know you do; I didn’t mean anything by it. We poke at each other”––she shrugged––“it’s kind of our thing.”

His grip on her hand loosened, and then he took control of the dance, by twirling her until her back was pressed to his front, and he began to move sinuously in time to the rhythm. His breath tickled her ear, as he spoke right in it to be heard over the music. “We’ve got a thing, Moonbeam?”

Jason had ditched the tie and suit jacket after the wedding, and his body heat scorched her through his crisp white dress shirt. And man-oh-Maneschewitz, his lean, hard body felt good. Really good. The Marine might be bulked up, but Jason’s body felt like it had been made for hers, which given their mutual antagonism, seemed like proof Fate was enjoying a good laugh at her expense. Against Lily’s better judgment, her body melted into his warmth and began to move with his.

“Sure we’ve got a thing,” she said over her shoulder, and was irritated to hear a trace of breathlessness in her voice. She cleared her throat and continued, “Like that––you calling me Moonbeam, because you know it bugs me.”

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About Donna Simonetta

Donna Simonetta writes the kind of books she loves to read––contemporary romances to help you escape the real world for a little while. Writing is Donna’s third career. She toiled in the business world, and when she decided being an Account Executive wasn’t for her went back to school to get her MLS degree. Next, she worked in a school library for many years. But, Donna dreamed of being an author since she was a little girl, and began to squeeze writing into her day. After the publication of her second book, she decided to leave the library and become a full-time author.

Donna lives in Maryland with her husband, who is her real-life romance hero. They enjoy traveling to visit far-flung family and friends, and spending time on the beach with an umbrella drink and a good book.

Author Links:

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https://twitter.com/donna_simonetta

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/15422407.Donna_Simonetta

https://www.amazon.com/Donna-Simonetta/e/B06X415TWW/

https://www.bookbub.com/authors/donna-simonetta

https://www.instagram.com/donnasimonetta4/

Donna Simonetta will be awarding a $10 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

a Rafflecopter giveaway