Constance Bretes - Book of Love

Today I’m featuring one of my own books, called Book of Love. The Romance Studio is featuring this book in their book-a-day-giveaway (http://theromancestudio.info/book-a-day-giveaway/)
 
I also have a mailing list for my newsletter. If you’d like to be added to my mailing list, drop me a line at bretesc@gmail.com. You can also check it out at my website (http://conniebretes.weebly.com)
 
Blurp

A librarian, a mechanic, and a psychotic ex. What could go wrong? 

When her marriage came to a devastating end, Janice Meyers moved to Montana to try to escape her past and get a fresh start. She's sworn off men, but she didn't anticipate meeting Chris. 

After the death of his wife, Chris Jamisen focused all his time and energy on running his auto repair shop and raising his children. He's not looking for love, and when he first meets Janice, the town's new librarian, he never imagines they might embark on a relationship. Sure, he'll admit he finds the smart, sexy blonde attractive, but the frustrating woman expects miracles from him. Her vehicle is practically beyond repair, but she insists he has to keep it running. 

As Chris gets to know Janice, he begins to develop feelings for her, but he's reluctant to pursue a relationship. He's Native American, and he worries about the complications of a biracial relationship. He's experienced prejudice first hand, so he knows how difficult it can be. When Janice's ex-husband shows up seeking revenge, things could reach a horrible end. Will Chris save Janice in time? And will he and Janice be able to set aside their painful pasts and give their relationship a chance? 
 
Excerpt:
 
Janice walked into Colstrip Auto Care and marched up to Chris, who was standing behind the counter. “You know, I’m starting to have issues with you and my car.”
“Well, I have issues with you and your car too. I told you that I couldn’t guarantee it would keep running, and that I’d try to get it running long enough for you to get another vehicle. What seems to be the problem now?”
“I don’t understand why you can’t keep it running for me,” she retorted.
“I figured cars were really foreign for you. Why do you think cars end up in junkyards at the end of their useful life?” Chris shot back.
“Because mechanics can’t fix them?” She swallowed hard, trying not to reveal her anger.
“No, because owners like you don’t take care of them.” He glared at her.
“I didn’t have this many problems with the car until I brought it to you!” she snapped. His tone both aroused and infuriated her.
“No, it was pretty much dead when you first came to me.” He let out a sigh. “All right, tell me what happened this time.”
“I hit a pothole, and then I couldn’t steer it.”
“Where is it?”
“Down at Main Street and Boulder.”
Chris really didn’t want to take time out of his busy schedule to drive down there to take a look. He had six cars in the shop, and everyone was working overtime to get them done.
“I’ll have Tony bring it in.”
“Another tow charge? Can’t you go and look for yourself and, you know, fix the damn thing?”
He could, but after the way she’d just spoken to him, he decided he wouldn’t. “No, I’m quite busy right now,” he said as his temper flared. He was trying to help her, but it seemed that she didn’t believe that.
She walked to the door, then turned around and asked him, “What happened to the horn?”
He looked at her blankly with his eyebrows raised. “What about your horn?” Even as the words left his mouth, he knew it was a mistake to ask.
“It was working fine when I got to Colstrip, but now it doesn’t work!”
Aaron came to see what the commotion was about.
“Probably the damn thing rusted off and is laying alongside the road,” Chris muttered under his breath.
“What did you say?” She looked back at him with a flash of anger in her eyes.
“Nothing.” He really didn’t know what the hell happened to the horn.
She regarded him coolly. “You probably took it off and never put it back on.”
“Now why would I do something like that?” he asked her irritably. He was starting to really get angry with her, but he held himself in check.
“I don’t know, maybe you have a horn fetish or something.”
Aaron left the room and went into the office.
“I don’t know what happened to your horn, but if you want me to put one on I will.”
“No, that’s okay. I don’t need it.” She turned and walked out the door.
He looked after her, exasperated. First she yells at me about her horn, then when I said I’d fix it, she says no. Women. He shook his head as he walked back to his office for a second to cool off. He walked in on his son who was in the middle of fits of laughter. Chris wasn’t amused.
“Did you do something to her horn, Dad?”
“I don’t know what the hell happened to her damn horn,” he replied flatly.
A few hours later, he had the car towed in and put it up on the hoist and immediately saw the problem. He called her on the phone. “You lost a ball joint on the car. That’s why you couldn’t steer it.”
“Well, how did that happened?”
He let out a sigh. “It looks like it rusted off and you hit a pothole and that was all it needed. It’s a good thing it happened while you were in town.”
“Is it fixable?” she asked.
“Yes, it fixable.”
“How much will it cost?”
“A ball joint will run you about five hundred dollars,” he answered.
“Boy, that’s expensive.”
“Actually, it’s quite cheap. I’m charging you less than I charge other customers and I’m doing the labor free for you so that saves you money too.”
“I see. Thank you, Chris,” Janice said quietly.
They ended the call and as Chris hung up the phone, Aaron chuckled. “Dad, you’ll have a brand new car for her before it’s over with.”
“You can shut up now,” Chris replied..
 
Buy Links:
http://www.amazon.com/Book-Love-Constance-Bretes-ebook/dp/B00QYB16QQ/
http://beachwalkpress.com/book-of-love/
 

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