by: Amanda Ashby
Series: Sisters of the Wishing Bridge
Genre: Contemporary Romance
Release Date: January 9, 2017
Publisher: Entangled Bliss
He’s the best man and her secret fling—who said being a wedding planner was easy?
What's worse than running into your ex-hookup at the airport? When said 'hookup" is the best man for the most important wedding of your career, and he's on the hunt for a fake girlfriend. Between a hysterical bride and a wedding party gone wild, wedding planner Emmy Watson can’t afford any more disasters if she wants to save her beloved Wishing Bridge Farm. Which is why she puts the best man on lockdown. Unfortunately, he also happens to be the one guy who can make her forget everything except the way his kisses make her feel.
All Christopher Henderson needs is a fake girlfriend to convince his bosses that his bad boy reputation is a thing of the past so he can land his dream job. What better place to find said companion than at a wholesome vintage wedding. The only thing he didn't count on was seeing Emmy, the woman who dumped him. The one he hasn’t been able to get off his mind.
There's no denying the spark between them, but he’s a globetrotter and she’s a homebody, and falling in love is something neither of them has in their plans.
When did you first know you wanted to be a writer?
I was definitely a late bloomer! I loved reading and was great at creative writing as a kid but it never occurred to me for one second that it was something I could do. It wasn’t until I was in my late twenties that I had a terrible thought. What if my favorite authors hadn’t bothered to write the books that I love so much? From there it kept playing around in my mind that perhaps I was meant to write books too. As soon as I had that thought I became determined to have a book published, and while there were definitely some bumps along the way, it did eventually happen!
How would you describe your writing process?
I’m a right-brained type of person and let me tell you that structure does NOT come easily to me! Which means not only is my process all over the place, it totally changes from book to book. This used to frustrate me no end and I was constantly looking for ways and hacks to get a system. The amount of whiteboards/index cards/how to plot books that I’ve bought could fund a small country, but I’ve finally accepted that it’s never going to work. Truth is that my process looks like a bomb has exploded. There is handwriting, there is getting halfway through the story and then realizing that I hate the main character, there is cut and pasting, deleting and far too much muttering and feeling sorry for myself. But somehow books eventually get finished! It’s all a bit of a mystery.
What are three things in Falling For the Best Man that you think people will enjoy the most?
I hope they’ll enjoy the town of Sunshine I created. It’s sweet and quirky and I wouldn’t mind living there myself! I’m also a huge vintage/retro fan so there’s a fair bit of old tablecloths and cute rustic charm in there, and then there’s the Wishing Bridge itself. It’s a covered bridge where locals have been touching the middle beam and making wishes. I hope that everyone enjoys the idea of going to a place where they can think about what they really want in their lives.
If you could go on a writing retreat with one other author (dead or alive), who would it be?
Jane Austen or Georgette Heyer. These two authors have had a huge influence on me and their books are the perfect combination of romance and humor that I love. Of course I’d be too star struck to actually speak to them but I would pat their arms and look at them longingly in the hope that some of their awesomeness might rub off on me! In turn, they would no doubt look at each other and go, “we came back from the dead for this kind of crazy?”
What are your ambitions with your writing career?
To improve my skills so that I can do justice to the stories in my head. It’s definitely a career where you never stop learning!
“Emmy,” he countered, trying not to be distracted by the delectable sight of her chest rising and falling. “One dance. That’s all I’m asking. For old time’s sake.”
Emmy’s lips twitched, and Christopher could almost see the two sides of her battling before the carefree smile he recognized from their time together in New York appeared. It changed the shape of her face and brought everything about their first meeting slamming into his mind. She stood up, so close that his skin prickled with desire.
“Fine. One dance.”
“Great.” He led her to the small wooden dance floor to the left of where the jazz band was playing. Lewis and Miranda were in the middle, and fanned out all around them were the rest of the bridal party, but all Christopher could see was Emmy.
The music pulsated around them, and even the pale yellow moon above swayed to the beat. He sucked in a breath and pulled her toward him. It was a mistake, and his lungs were filled with the smell of her freshly washed hair and the evening clematis climbing up the crumbling brickwork of the courtyard walls. His arms tightened around her waist, and her bunched, tense muscles seemed to relax as she melted into him. The rest of the world disappeared, and all he was conscious of was her pounding heart as it pressed against his.
This was the woman he’d met two years ago.
And it seems I’m just as helpless around her as I ever was. Which is either a good thing, or a very, very bad one. The verdict’s still out.
As if reading his mind, she turned her face up to him, a soft, suggestive smile tugging at her full mouth. Desire flared through him, and if they were anywhere else he would’ve kissed her without a second’s hesitation. He forced himself to return her smile and simply enjoy the way her body molded his.
It wasn’t until the lead singer announced the name of the next song Christopher even realized the music had stopped. Emmy was the first to recover, and she stepped away, her face flushed and her eyes not quite meeting his.
“Um.” She licked her lips. “I’m not sure that was such a good idea.”
“I hate to disagree with you, but I think it was an excellent idea. And one that should definitely be repeated. You can’t deny that there’s still something between us.” Christopher tried to pull her closer as the next song started, but she folded her arms firmly in front of her. Ironically, it highlighted the soft curves of her body.
At this rate I’m going to need a fire engine to cool me down.
“I’m serious,” she insisted before letting out a soft sigh. “You’re right. There is still something between us, but there’s nowhere it can go. I want to save the farm, and you want to go visit every strange nook and cranny in the universe. Don’t you see? Nothing’s changed.”
“My hair’s longer,” Christopher said, but it was obvious by the way Emmy had pushed her lips into two compact lines, she wasn’t in the joking mood. “I know you like to be organized, and I get that, but aren’t you over thinking this? I mean, shouldn’t we be having the fun first and then move on to the serious conversations about why it would never work?”
“I’m sorry.” The muscles around her jaw tightened. “I think we should just be friends.”
“Friends that do friendly things together? Like dancing?” he asked in a hopeful voice.
“How about friends that help other friends ensure the groom’s brother doesn’t do anything he might regret?” she countered.
Christopher winced. Ouch. He’d been friend-zoned. Logically, she had a point. She hadn’t changed her mind, and he wouldn’t change his, which meant it was for the best.
If only someone could inform my body of the situation.
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She has a degree in English and Journalism from the University of Queensland and is married with two children. Her debut book was nominated for a Romantic Times Reviewers Choice award, and her first young adult book was listed in the New York Public Library Stuff for the Teen Age. Because she’s mysterious she also writes middle grade books under the name, Catherine Holt and hopes that all this writing won’t interfere with her Netflix schedule.
Places to find Amanda Ashby:
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