Guest Post by Elise K. Ackers, Author of Ask Me For Tomorrow

Ask Me For Tomorrow is the third novella in my Homeland series published with Destiny Romance. A standalone title about two single parents, this book explores the many responsibilities of family, and the sometimes overlooked responsibilities to self.

Set in a fictional country town in rural New South Wales, Australia, Ask Me For Tomorrow is full of small town personalities, family tradition, and second chances.

Dean Foster and Alice Jaye are both at their wits end. Dean’s kids are acting up and starting fights at school, his business is demanding long hours, and he’s having thoughts about a woman for the first time since his wife died. Alice is working two jobs, trying to be there for her son, and keeping secrets from her new boss, Dean. They’re exhausted, they’re confused, but somehow amongst all the madness of day-to-day life, their long-dormant hearts are stirring again.

Dean and Alice’s story is the tender conclusion to a series about brothers Dean and Ethan, their best friend Cal, and the three women they love. As Dean fights to convince Alice that the world, and all its complications, can wait, the characters who’ve previously stood centre stage in earlier books are all in this one, continuing their stories and supporting Dean’s.

As a reader, I’ve always been drawn to series, I love revisiting characters I’ve connected with to see them in different stages of their lives; so as a writer it was important for me to do each character justice as the Homeland series reached its third installment. Ask Me For Tomorrow can be read without having read the first two, but it’s richer in their company.

One of the challenges of writing this series was properly capturing the passing of time. There is approximately a year between the first and second novella, and almost the same between the second and third. This was necessary, especially in Dean’s case because it allowed for distance between the loss he suffers in Ask Me To Stay, and the love he allows himself to feel in Ask Me For Tomorrow.

This is my first series, but it won’t be my last. It’s been a delight to remain so long with these characters, and I’m thrilled to be celebrating the release of Dean’s story. He’s been on my mind for a long time, and I was very happy to have the opportunity to give him a second chance at a happy ever after. All three novellas are available from Destiny Romance.

Book Description

Three years after losing his wife, Dean Foster feels like he's living in a daze. When he finds himself attracted to his new employee, it comes as quite a shock. Single mum, Alice Jaye, is struggling to make ends meet. She's too tired to flirt with her gorgeous new boss and firmly maintains a professional distance. But when their children bring them into close contact, keeping their relationship strictly business isn't easy. As Alice and her son spend more time with his family, Dean's heart begins to open once more. But can he risk starting all over again? This eagerly anticipated final book of the Homeland series is a tender, heartwarming story about letting go of the past and giving love a second chance. 

About the Author

Elise K. Ackers is from Melbourne, Australia. She writes contemporary romance and romantic suspense and is published with Destiny Romance and Escape Publishing. Elise is an animal foster carer, a magnet for unusual accidents, and an enthusiastic couch commentator. Ask Me For Tomorrow is her sixth book. 

New Release: Zoey & The Moment of Zen

When coffee shop owner Zoey Everwood takes her obsession with ex-boyfriend Braden too far, everyone—except Zoey—is convinced a bit of fun in the sun at the Moment of Zen Wellness Resort will help her get over him once and for all. But Zoey's relaxing vacation turns out to be anything but peaceful when she meets Shane Lawson, a resort guest who bears a striking resemblance to Braden. And things get even more complicated when the resort's owner starts spilling secrets about Zoey’s aunt Nessa, the woman who raised her. Add a snarky Wellness Coordinator and Nate Holmes—Shane's grumpy friend—to the mix, and you've got the recipe for a perfect tropical storm. When Zoey comes back home with a new husband instead of tacky souvenirs, she must convince everyone she hasn't completely lost her mind. As Zoey and Shane struggle to keep the magic alive outside the resort, Zoey discovers that she isn't the only one having trouble letting go of the past. And when Nate drops a bombshell that changes everything, Zoey must decide if the old saying is true—what happens at the Moment of Zen stays at the Moment of Zen.

New Release: Christmas at the Beach (Novella)

The ladies from Ten Beach Road and Ocean Beach are back in an all-new holiday novella.

When Madeline Singer, Avery Lawford, and Nicole Grant first gained ownership of Ten Beach Road, they didn’t realize that remodeling the house would not only bind their fates together but give them a second chance at rebuilding their lives.

Now they’re gathering at the newly sold Bella Flora for one last Christmas. Kyra, Madeline’s daughter, is hoping to get a brief respite from the paparazzi that constantly hounds her and the son she had with famous actor Daniel Deranian. But when a string of bad news threatens to disrupt her happy holidays, Bella Flora’s sanctuary may be threatened for all of the women who call it home.

What makes a happy family? By Janey Fraser, author of Happy Families

Bobbie's children never listen to a word she says. Even worse, her mother has a new boyfriend: the notorious child expert Dr. Know, who dishes out hard-line advice to the nation. Could parenting classes control her kids - and save her marriage?…

Bobbie's children never listen to a word she says. Even worse, her mother has a new boyfriend: the notorious child expert Dr. Know, who dishes out hard-line advice to the nation. Could parenting classes control her kids - and save her marriage? Andy's wife is due to run a Perfect Parents course at the local school. But when she scarpers, he's left to look after their two teenage daughters - and face his own childhood demons. Vanessa has found love, second-time round. But one night, six-year-old Sunshine is deposited on her doorstep with a message from Vanessa's estranged daughter, 'Please look after her.' This time she's determined to get it right. Can Bobbie, Andy, and Vanessa really learn the secret of raising a happy family?

After three children, one divorce, re-marriage, and a great deal of walking on egg-shells, I often wonder what makes a really happy family. The following definitions come from my own experience and those of friends. (Plus, of course, my latest novel Happy Families.)

Laughing together, even when there doesn't seem much to laugh about.

Doing things together. My youngest son and I started a weekend bowling tradition when we were on our own.

Spending time together. My children and I go away together once a year without any other adults. It's our bonding time.

Making time for each other even when you're racing against the clock. Yesterday, I had to get up at 6am in order to finish a deadline as one of my sons needed me to drop off two heavy speakers for his band later in the day - which was when I had been planning to work!

Cooking together. Leads to laughter where my culinary skills are involved.

Trying not to involve them in adult problems.

Giving the children a certain amount of responsibility so they learn to stand on their own two feet. But also still being there for them. This applies to all ages.

Telling each other stories. It brings people together. I often tell my children stories about my childhood. I've also always encouraged them to make up stories.

Singing!

Limit nagging. Increase praise where it's due. Vital for self- esteem.

Teaching each other to be grateful for small things. One of my friends always asks her children, at bedtime, to tell her about the 'best thing' that's happened that day. I think that's lovely.

Encouraging courtesy and manners from all age groups. It leads to a nicer atmosphere.

Not expecting your children to be just like you or their brothers/sisters. We're all different.

Teaching them that when things go wrong, it's all right. Even if it doesn't seem that way. I once interviewed the agony aunt Claire Rayner on helpful sayings. She came up with the following. 'All things must pass.' That means the bad stuff won't go on for ever. However, you also have to make the most of the good times. It's a saying that has really helped my family.

If anyone would like to add their own definitions of a happy family, please email me via janeyfraser.co.uk, and I'll put a selection on the website. I'll send a free copy of my new book to anyone whose saying goes on the website.

Janey Fraser always dreamed of writing novels. After a career in women's magazines interviewing celebrities, Janey wrote several non-fiction books about childcare. She has also written a series of children's books. Janey has appeared live on breakfast television, talking about her books, and has also been on numerous radio programmes, including Woman's Hour and The Learning Curve. She also writes short stories for magazines, runs writing courses, and is a regular speaker at literary festivals, including Winchester and Guildford. Her recent hobby is belly dancing, much to the horror of her children. However, Janey firmly believes that embarrassing one's offspring is a perk of the job. Find out more at www.janeyfraser.co.uk.

New Releases: October 2013

October 6th

October 6th

Ellie Redford has a husband, a job, and a home. According to the rest of the world, it’s baby o’clock already. Shame life doesn't come with a recipe… Ellie knows that starting a family with lovely husband Pete would be an amazing adventure. Pete would make a brilliant dad, and she’d have an excuse to eat shed loads of Cherry Bakewell. But Ellie’s bestie would rather she was up at 3 a.m. with a bottle of Malibu, not formula. And with redundancies looming, Ellie’s boss isn’t exactly going to throw her a shower if she disappears for a year, with pay. While Ellie juggles her feelings (and everyone else’s) as competently as a drunken clown, she finds herself signing up for a baking class, alongside the young, free, and sizzling hot Joe. As they work buns and shape tarts, is there more to their friendship than a shared appreciation of Paul Hollywood? Ellie’s soufflés may be rising, but her personal life is one big soggy mess. If she doesn't make a decision soon, she may just lose everything that matters to her. Maybe it's time to take off the pinny and face up to the truth: there’s more to life than cupcakes.

October 15th

October 15th

Bridget faces a few rather pressing questions: What do you do when your girlfriend’s sixtieth birthday party is the same day as your boyfriend’s thirtieth? Is it better to die of Botox or die of loneliness because you’re so wrinkly? Is it wrong to lie about your age when online dating? Is it morally wrong to have a blow-dry when one of your children has head lice? Is it normal to be too vain to put on your reading glasses when checking your toy boy for head lice? Does the Dalai Lama actually tweet or is it his assistant? Is it normal to get fewer followers the more you tweet? Is technology now the fifth element? Or is that wood? If you put lip plumper on your hands do you get plump hands? Is sleeping with someone after two dates and six weeks of texting the same as getting married after two meetings and six months of letter writing in Jane Austen’s day? Pondering these and other modern dilemmas, Bridget Jones stumbles through the challenges of loss, single motherhood, tweeting, texting, technology, and rediscovering her sexuality in—Warning! Bad, outdated phrase approaching!—middle age. 

October 15th

October 15th

From the New York Times bestselling author of Summer Rental comes a novella that celebrates love, the holidays, and antiques. Christmas is coming, but Savannah antique dealer Weezie Foley is doubly distracted—both by her upcoming wedding to her longtime love, chef Daniel Stipanek, and also by the fact that her best friend and maid-of-honor BeBe Loudermilk is due to give birth any day—and is still adamantly refusing to marry her live-in-love Harry. Readers have come to love these characters in Mary Kay Andrews’ three previous Savannah novels: Savannah Blues, Savannah Breeze, and Blue ChristmasChristmas Bliss offers Andrews’ fans the best of many things: familiar characters, a new novella for Christmas, and a celebration of Mary Kay Andrews’ own favorite pastime - antiquing. 

October 15th

October 15th

Author Sara Pierce is slowly drowning in Windsor, a city where water will seemingly not stay put long enough to form puddles. While living with her germophobic best friend Angie and dealing with her online gaming-addicted boyfriend Dan, Sara finds herself obsessively writing and rewriting her own story in order to gain some sense of control over her life. Shallow Enough to Walk Through is a portrait of the artist as a young woman trapped in a world she never imagined would end up this way. Marissa Reaume’s debut is a novel that makes and unmakes itself at the same time, as strikethroughs and compulsive editorial injections take us into the mind of a young writer struggling to finally come into her own.

October 15th

October 15th

 Not only do Southerners talk slowly, but sometimes the whole language is hard to understand. No one realizes that more than Memphis belle Leelee Satterfield. Since she debuted in Whistlin’ Dixie in a Nor’easter, Leelee has entertained tens of thousands of readers. Watching her tackle life and love in Vermont was only the tip of the iceberg when it came to antics, charades, mischief, and romance. Now that she’s back in Memphis, and starting a new relationship with Peter, the Yankee chef from her New England inn, you’d think she’d sit back and enjoy her newly crafted life back home in Dixie. But that just wouldn’t be as much fun. Opening up a new restaurant with Peter isn’t as easy as she had anticipated, especially when it comes to the differences between the North and the South. When Leelee’s ex-husband, Baker, returns unexpectedly, everything else goes haywire. Throw her three crazy best friends into the mix; Riley, her meddlesome next-door neighbor who sells Pampered Chef for a living; and Kissie, Leelee’s beloved second mother who claims Riley sits on her “last raw nerve,” and you have the perfect recipe for a sassy, Southern delicacy. Whether among maple trees in Vermont or magnolia-filled Memphis, Leelee’s charm, heart, and laughter will delight readers in any climate.

October 22nd

October 22nd

 Darby Quinn has a bone to pick with Cinderella. Burned one too many times by ex-boyfriends, Darby has lost all belief in the happily-ever-after that the fairy-tale princess promised her. She's sworn off love, Prince Charmings, and happy endings, and she's happy about it. Really. Or at least she was…until she met Jake, her gorgeous neighbor and the manager of her favorite restaurant. But Darby has rules about dating, ones she's culled from her years spent with so-called “princes,” and starting something with Jake would break all of them. Charming, fun, and unwilling to give up on her, Jake doesn’t fit any of the profiles Darby has created from her case studies of ex-princes-gone-bad. Finally presented with her own Prince Charming, can Darby take a chance on a happily-ever-after? Cinderella Screwed Me Over proves that sometimes the perfect love, like a perfect pair of shoes, is just within your grasp.

October 28th

October 28th

 Tough talking, ball busting, TV talk show host Tanya Travis is at the top of her game. For fifteen years, she has steered The Truth With Tanya Travis to be a ratings winner, solving the problems of Britain's great drug taking, shagging, DNA testing unwashed. But underneath the designer exterior, Tanya's life isn't so rosy. She is hounded by the press, who are desperate to prove her boyfriend's infidelity, and her closest relationships are with her crazy Brooklyn agent and her sweet faced (but foul mouthed) cleaner. When reality TV show Celebrity Spa Trek comes knocking, Tanya turns them down flat, believing that her image and credentials as the Darling of Daytime raise her above participating. However, she may be forced to re-think when her carefully constructed life starts to come apart at the seams. With her relationship in crisis, her career on the line, and her finances in dire straits, she may have to join the desperate gaggle of C-List wannabes trekking round Nepal after all.

October 29th

October 29th

 Holidays on this Massachusetts island are nothing short of magical, and the season’s wonderful traditions are much loved by Nicole Somerset, new to Nantucket and recently married to a handsome former attorney. Their home is already full of enticing scents of pine, baking spices, and homemade pie. But the warm, festive mood is soon tempered by Nicole’s chilly stepdaughter, Kennedy, who arrives without a hint of holiday spirit. Determined to keep her stepmother at arm’s length—or, better yet, out of the picture altogether—Kennedy schemes to sabotage Nicole’s holiday preparations. Nicole, however, is not about to let anyone or anything tarnish her first Christmas with her new husband.