Title: Come Dance With Me, Starlight Grille Series
Author: Delsora Lowe
Genre: Contemporary Sweet Romance
Book Blurb:
Improvisational jazz musician meets buttoned up English teacher—will the Christmas lights sparkle or shatter before the dance ends?
Sam Johnson, a burned out, New York City iconic jazz pianist transplanted to small town Maine, finds himself and his muse again through a disparate group of committed teen musicians and their buttoned up, efficient, high school English teacher who is roped into advising the afterschool jazz club.
Ashley Sullivan, an expert in classical music and teaching the bard, is out of her element when it comes to jazz or anything impromptu and desperately needs Sam’s help. What she doesn’t know is Sam has made it his mission before this gig ends to get Ashley to lighten up and enjoy the things in life she denies herself; music, friends, spontaneity, creativity, and yes, love.
When Sam works to rescue her from her childhood fears, Ashley runs the other direction. Can what is done out of love tear apart a relationship before it’s in full swing, or forever cement a love that is true?
Excerpt:
“What’s the matter?” Sam asked. The car ride to Ellsworth had been excruciatingly quiet. Not a stellar start to the date, especially when they’d only had short-lived phone conversations all week.
“Nothing.”
Her mutter told him otherwise. Although at times she shared bits and pieces of her childhood, Ashley continued to shut him out. Like in Brin’s bedroom, as they’d worked on moving furniture and she shared a bit of her childhood until her mask dropped in place again. She guarded her heart. He knew that. But he’d put a chink in the wall. Tonight, he hoped to hammer straight through to touch that spot she guarded with a mighty fierceness.
“You don’t think I’ve been around the block or two?” A jolt hit his heart. Maybe if he’d asked more questions years ago, Courtney would still be alive. No. He now knew Courtney’s illness destroyed her and almost destroyed him. No matter what he’d done to try to save her, he had to stop beating himself up for not doing enough. Ashley— he couldn’t save her either, if she didn’t want to take a chance and catch the beauty life offered. But he could do something to help her see that life could be good.
She faced him in the dusky light. “What’s that supposed to mean?”
He couldn’t hide his grin. Underneath her aloof, put-together façade hid Irish passion. More accurately, she tamped it down at every opportunity. Since day one, when she’d meekly tapped out a beat or two on the tambourine, he’d wanted to see her temper fly. So he did what guys were good at, got defensive. She’d have to respond. Not like she could fling the door open and disappear into a snow bank at fifty miles per hour.
“Stop pretending, Ashley. Don’t go putting this on me when you’re the one who keeps secrets.”
“Secrets?” She huffed out the word. “I told you a-about my p-parents.”
Shit, man. Now you’ve gone and made her stutter. But he couldn’t stop now. Not if he wanted her to loosen up and finally trust him.
“We need to head home.”
“We’re only a few miles from the restaurant. I’m not turning around.”
“I can’t do this, Sam.”
“Do this? What does that mean?”
Her forefinger waved back and forth between them. “This. Us. It’s too much.”
On the outskirts of Ellsworth, he pulled into a parking lot beside a strip mall. When he shut off the motor, she shivered. Although hampered by two seat belts and a console, he drew her close. “Look at me, sweetheart.”
She shivered again, but he knew her tremble had nothing to do with the cold.
“Whatever this is, it's just getting started. It doesn’t mean we’re jumping into holy matrimony and kids and…shit, now I’m scaring myself.” He intended to make a joke and she laughed on cue.
Truth be told, he wanted exactly what his folks had, love and trust and commitment and making it through the ups and downs life threw at you. And, yeah, sticking it out with someone you loved, a life partner. And kids. A real family.
“This…whatever, yeah it’s scary. But I want to give it a chance. Don’t run out on me now. At least tell me why you’re thinking of running, so I have a fighting chance to change your mind.”
She pulled out of his arms, leaving him cold in the silent car. Every now and then a vehicle would whoosh by leaving a wake of taillights in the growing dark of the late winter afternoon. Just when he thought he would have to turn around, she whispered, “Things, relationships, never work out for me. It’s my history.”
“What history?”
“I don’t want to talk about it.”
“You brought it up. If you’re going to shut me out, at least tell me why?”
“My engagement—he wasn’t the man I thought.”
He nodded. “Understandable you’re skittish. I can relate. Been there, done that.”
“Really?” Her brow arched.
He nodded. She didn’t ask any more questions. One more self-protective move. Don’t ask questions if you don’t want to answer any.
“So, we both have history. That’s normal, you know.”
She looked at him like she didn’t know what normal should be. Well, neither did he. He was winging it, just like the next idiot who thought he might be falling in love.
“W-what happened to y-you?” Her stuttered question indicated she really didn’t want to know the answer. Because if he did answer, she’d have to reciprocate.
He twined his fingers through hers. He couldn’t help touching her. Making that contact that might help melt the ice around her heart. “I had a fiancée too. She... Courtney." He stopped, swallowing hard. "She...she committed suicide.”
Her intake of breath and the slow sigh filled the silence left by his confession. “And you think it’s your fault, don’t you?”
He nodded. With the sunlight now a thin orange streak against a black horizon, Ashley sat in shadow. “We all have our crosses to bear. I’m coming to terms with mine. The mistakes I made. I’ll not repeat those.”
This time she looked directly at him. “What sort of mistakes do you think you made?”
Buy Links (including Goodreads and BookBub):
Books2Read: https://books2read.com/u/mY8eaW
BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518
Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe
Share a holiday family tradition:
Growing up in the nation’s capital had a certain draw during the holidays. One of those was ice skating on the mall between the Smithsonian Museums, the Capital lit up at one end and the Washington Monument lit and towering at the other end. Then there was the national tree lighting. As a family we would go down to the ellipse near the White House, search for hard-to-find parking, and then walk long, city blocks to watch the annual tree lighting. Then, along with crowds of people we would stroll around and look at the trees that were decorated to represent each state. Each year the trees were decorated with different themes. As a child (and, yes, as a grown-up) the decorations gave us insight into what represented each state. But more importantly to the kid in me (no matter my age,) was that wandering in the early descending darkness, with the trees alight as far as the eye could see, was magical. Now I live in a small town—equally as magical—but far easier to find parking for the annual tree lighting. Plus, I always see friends and neighbors.
Why is your featured book perfect to get readers in the holiday mood?
When I wrote this book, it brought back all the nostalgia of going to the high school Christmas dance. I channeled how I felt dancing a slow dance, while my dad was chaperoning—standing on tiptoe, I might add—as he was trying to keep an eye on me. One of the lovely things about dancing slow, is burying your head against your partner’s shoulder. Which was a plus in making it harder for my dad to spot me.
This book is from the chaperone’s point of view. And what two chaperones were feeling as they thought back to their youth and falling in love. Listening to their student’s band playing at the school dance, they finally admit they are falling in love with each other.
The book is about goodwill and helping others. Even as the characters go through their own issues, they find the joy of giving to others unselfishly and learning to accept love during this magical season.
Giveaway –
Enter to win a $75 Amazon (US or Canada) Gift Card.
You must have an active Amazon US or Amazon Canada account to be eligible. Open internationally.
Runs December 1 – 31
Drawing will be held on January 3, 2023.
Author Biography:
~ cottages to cabins ~ keep the home fires burning ~
Delsora Lowe writes small town sweet and spicy romances and contemporary westerns from the mountains of Colorado to the shores of Maine.
Author of the Starlight Grille series, Serenity Harbor Maine novellas, the Cowboys of Mineral Springs series, and The Love Left Behind, Lowe has also authored short romances for Woman’s World magazine. This holiday season, look for both the novel, The Inn on Gooseneck Lane, and the novella, Holiday Hitchhiker.
Social Media Links:
Author website: www.delsoralowe.com Facebook Author page: https://www.facebook.com/delsoraloweauthor/community/ Amazon Author page: https://www.amazon.com/Delsora-Lowe/e/B01M61OM39/ref=ntt_dp_epwbk_0 Books2Read Author page: https://www.books2read.com/ap/8GWm98/Delsora-Lowe BookBub Author Page: https://www.bookbub.com/authors/delsora-lowe-93c6987f-129d-483d-9f5a-abe603876518 Goodreads Author Page: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/16045986.Delsora_Lowe Instagram: #delsoralowe / https://www.instagram.com/delsoralowe/