I absolutely love a good friends-to-lovers romance and Goldberg’s newest looks to be a definite winner!
*****
Eat Your Heart Out
Starting Over Book 2
by Shirley Goldberg
Genre: Romantic Women’s Fiction, Chick-Lit, RomCom
Blurb:
When a tyrant in stilettos replaces her beloved boss, and her ex snags her coveted job, teacher Dana Narvana discovers there are worse things than getting dumped on Facebook. Time for the BFF advice squad, starting with Dana’s staunchest ally, Alex—hunky colleague, quipster, and cooking pal extraordinaire. But when the after hours smooching goes nowhere, she wonders why this grown man won’t make up his mind.
Alex Bethany’s new lifestyle gives him the confidence to try online dating. What he craves is a family of his own until a life-altering surprise rocks his world. He knows he’s sending Dana mixed messages. Alex panics when he thinks he’s blown his chance with his special person. From appetizers to the main course will these two cooking buddies make it to dessert?
Funny and bittersweet, Dana and Alex’s story will have you rooting for them.
~
Middle Ageish
Starting Over Book 1
Sunny Chanel’s marriage is circling the drain when her husband marks his colonoscopy on the calendar and ignores their anniversary. With divorce papers instead of roses on the horizon, she says “au revoir” Paris and croissants, and “hello” cheap New Haven apartment and ramen noodles.
Encouraged by her friends, Sunny jumps into online dating, twenty-three years and twenty pounds after her last date. To her surprise she discovers dating might require a helmet, and occasionally armor to protect her heart, but after years of being ignored, her adventurous side craves fun and conversation. She’s middle-aged not dead. Then suddenly, on the way to reinventing herself, life takes a left turn when the one man she can’t forget calls with an unexpected request.
**Only .99 cents!!**
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*****
Excerpt:
In front of the monitor again, I took another sip of wine, clicked on a drop-down menu and filled out search criteria, then began my man-troll. Ten photos to a page. Third from the top, Monty55, athletic body, his photo the size of a postage stamp. I clicked on his profile, the better to examine the goods.
“Okay, ladies,” Marc announced coming up the stairs and sticking his head in the room. “Ten minutes and dinner’s ready. So, quick pick, a man who can cook,” he called in my direction. “Someone who’s into wine. Can’t go wrong.”
“Your father and I cooked together. Every night.” I eyed a second photo of Monty lounging under a weeping willow, the drooping branches framing him, one dog in his lap, another at his side gazing up with adoration. Had to be a female.
“I know, Mom, and you still got divorced.” Sam was tired of hearing the old stories. “Marc means well, but it’s a numbers game. You can’t pick just one.” She looked to Noelle for approval. “Online dating is good for the old self-esteem, don’t you think?”
“Self-esteem? Uh, Sam, honey,” Noelle said. “It’s obvious you haven’t done any internet dating.”
I was deep into Monty55, drinking in his profile as if it were a superior zinfandel. Here was a man with sensibilities close to mine, who’d choose a quiet, intimate place for our first meet. My chest expanded with expectation.
“How do I write him?” Hands curled over the keyboard. Ready.
Noelle showed me how to grab a sentence or two from his profile, weave it into the email message, add a question at the end. “Make it easy. Most men hate writing.”
I could do this, entice this man with my email wit. Monty’s middle paragraph was all about cooking with his honey after hiking a few trails, a love of the outdoors, the smell of the forest. Searching for four leaf clovers. Clever thoughts skipped ahead. So this was what all the excitement was about and why had no one told me?
“Stop!” Noelle and Sam shouted behind me.
“What?” I jerked mid-word. “You wanted me to do this. I’m doing it.” I wheeled the chair back allowing them a clear view.
Sam breathed out in relief, hand over heart. “You can’t tell this guy you’re ready for an adventure.”
“You can but it’s a lousy idea,” Noelle added.
“Why not?” Folded arms across my chest, the surge of energy evaporating. “Now you’re grading my writing? You said I should have an adventure.”
Sam and Noelle exchanged looks. Noelle made a face.
“Well, Mom, we hate to let you in on the secret code of internet daters, but telling strangers you want adventures? It’s a sexual come on.”
I opened my mouth to respond and shut it.
Sam patted my head. “Hey, nothing we can’t edit.”
“Why can’t I just meet a man in my dance class or at the supermarket fish counter? Like Sunny.” Now I was whining.
“What dance class?”
“You hang out at the fish counter?” Noelle peered at the screen, laid her hand over mine on the mouse and clicked. “Where is that email?”
“It’s right there,” I drained my wine glass, noting the email disappearance with little concern. “Maybe I minimized it.”
“Your message to Monty55 has been sent,” Sam read from the screen in a Bugs Bunny voice.
*****
Author Info:
Shirley Goldberg is a writer, novelist, and former ESL and French teacher who’s lived in Paris, Crete, and Casablanca. She writes about men and women of a certain age starting over. Her website http://midagedating.com offers a humorous look into dating in mid life, and her friends like to guess which stories are true. Middleageish is her first book in the series Starting Over. Her character believes you should never leave home without your sense of humor and Shirley agrees.
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*****
Giveaway:
$20 Amazon or B&N Gift Card + e-copy of 1st novel Middle Ageish – 1 winner
http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/23d974a92813/
*****
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