Amulet (Heart’s True Desire Book 1) Contemporary Romance with Mystical Elements by Kathryn Amurra Book Tour with Guest Post and Giveaway
Amulet
Heart's True Desire
Book 1
By
Kathryn Amurra
General Information:
Title: Amulet
Author: Kathryn Amurra
Series Info: Book 1 - Heart’s True
Desire series
Genre: Contemporary Romance with
Mystical Elements / Paranormal Romance
Time and setting: Present day,
Southeastern U.S. & Israel
Publisher: The Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: April 3, 2024
Synopsis:
Alex Weaver, however, can’t seem to get her life in order. As a temp-agency lawyer helping Val’s company prepare to be acquired, Alex has no hope that she will ever land a full-time job as an attorney (or convince her boyfriend to marry her).
When one of Val’s key engineers abruptly departs, the acquisition is suddenly at risk. Hoping to salvage the deal, Val asks Alex to travel with him to Israel for a meeting with the decision-makers. The more time Val and Alex spend together, however, the more they question the things they thought were most important in their lives. Soon, they find themselves at a crossroads, having to choose between the lives they’ve always wished for and their hearts’ true desire.
Excerpt:
Thanking him, Alex
got into the front seat. He couldn’t help noticing as Alex’s coat parted at the
bottom and her skirt slid a couple of inches up her thighs in the process.
He shut the door
before she could realize where his eyes and thoughts had been and went around
to the driver’s side.
“I’ll try not to
breathe too much on the short ride over to your parking lot,” he said, starting
the car. “I’d hate it if I got you sick.”
“Oh, don’t worry
about that. I’ve got a pretty robust immune system. Plus, if I’m choosing
between catching a cold and dying in a fiery car crash because you held your
breath and passed out, I think I’d choose the former.”
Val laughed. “It’s
always good to put things into perspective.”
He reached over to
the stick shift and put the car in reverse. It was only after grasping the
shifter that he sensed how close his hand was to Alex’s left knee. Indulging
himself, Val glanced at her face in profile as he turned his body to look
behind them and backed out of the parking spot. She was looking down at her lap
and trying to adjust her coat.
Val shifted again,
driving toward the exit. Alex was quiet, and he hoped she wasn’t uncomfortable
sitting next to him. After their dinner and a pleasant conversation, she
couldn’t possibly be worried that he was trying to put the moves on her, could
she?
“We’ll have to see
about getting you a parking spot in the building. I’ll talk to Judy about it
tomorrow.”
Alex looked over at
him. “That’s really nice of you, but I can’t afford to park here. It’s more
than twice as expensive as the lot I’m in right now, and I can hardly afford
that.”
Val knew that
contract attorneys made less than in-house counsel or attorneys in big law
firms, but he was curious how much less. “What are they paying you at Advance
Legal?”
“Thirty dollars an
hour.”
He was quiet for a
moment. “They’re making a killing on you, you know. I should have hired you
directly—you could have made more money, and I could have spent less money.
Anyway, don’t worry about the cost. The company will pay for your parking.”
The unexpected offer
had her eyes widening in surprise. “I can’t ask you to do that!”
“You’re not. It’s a
business decision that I’m making. Look, it’s going to be crazy the next few
weeks with this deal. I might need you to come in extra early on some days and
stay late on others. And the days are short this time of year. I can’t be worrying
about the seven-block walk you have to make to your car in the dark every
night.”
Alex pressed her
lips into a straight line, and even relying only on peripheral vision, Val
could tell she was skeptical. “So, you’re saying I’d be doing you a favor by
allowing the company to pay exorbitant amounts of money for me to park in the
building.”
He could hear the
smile in her voice as she said the words, and he wished he could take his eyes
off the road for more than just a moment to see it.
“Yes, that’s exactly
right.”
Sighing, Alex
relented. “All right, then. I’ll do it. For the company.”
He laughed. “You
might just get employee of the month at this rate.”
Praise for Amulet:
“Kathryn Amurra’s Amulet is an absorbing tale of re-evaluating what’s important in life, of choices between what one has always wished for versus one’s true heart’s desires, and discovering that magic comes in many forms. Thoroughly enjoyed this enchanting story!”
—Joy Allyson, Author of Whiskey
Love (Published by The Wild Rose Press)
“I loved it! I was speed-reading near the end—so anxious to see how the romance worked out! What a great ending! I look forward to more in this series.”
—Kel O’Connor, Author of The DAG Series
“For anyone who loves clean, contemporary romance with a hint of magic! Kathryn Amurra writes a story that will appeal to readers who enjoy contemporary romance combined with just the right dash of magic to their stories! She spins an engaging tale of a family heirloom that grants whoever possesses it their greatest wish.”
—Leanne Davis, Author of the River’s End Series
Guest Post
What is your writing process like?
Before I write the first word, I do a LOT of thinking. I like to have a very clear idea of the main characters before I start a new project—their personalities, their back stories, their motivations. I usually also have a few of the scenes in my head—situations or episodes that the rest of the story works toward and from. Then I write. I have a day job, so most of my writing is done at night, usually around midnight. Sometimes I’ll write a page, sometimes only a sentence or two, but I write sequentially. I don’t usually skip around the book, although sometimes I do go back and add pages or scenes or move things around during the editing phase. I edit as I write, and then again when I’m done with the first draft. Once I’m pretty happy with the draft, I send it to my two alpha readers—my best friend from law school and my cousin. Then I take their edits, read and revise my book thoroughly, set it aside, then read through it again. For books I self-publish, I will then send the draft to my beta readers and wait for their feedback. For books I publish through my publisher, The Wild Rose Press, it is at this point that I send the book to my editor and wait for her edits. It’s a long process, but I enjoy pretty much every part of it!
What or who inspired you to become a writer?
I have enjoyed making up stories since as long as I can remember. When I was little, it’s how I fell asleep—I told myself stories (usually love stories where I was the heroine!). I read a lot as a kid (I still do), and I most enjoy stories with a romantic element. When I got to middle school and high school, I started writing some of my stories down. I would sit in my room for hours and write, and my parents never minded or thought there was anything odd in that (or at least they didn’t tell me if they were concerned!). They encouraged me and supported my writing. When it came time for college, I took what I thought was a more practical path and decided to study Engineering. I figured I would write as a hobby and would focus on it more when I retired. Then came marriage and law school, and becoming a mother to three lovely girls. It was in December of 2015, on a long drive home after spending Christmas visiting family, that I had an epiphany. I remember it very clearly—it was the middle of the night, and everyone in the car was sleeping (except me, the driver, of course). We were going through the mountains, and the way the falling snow looked in the headlights was mesmerizing and a bit surreal. I had been thinking of a story about a man who had committed what he thought was a terrible and unforgivable act and, as a result, had ceased to age. As I worked through the story in my mind, it occurred to me—I didn’t have to wait until I retired to start writing. After all, what if I never made it to retirement? What if I dropped dead the day after I retired and never got to do this thing that I had always wanted to do? So, I made a New Year’s resolution to write a full-length, publishable novel. That was probably the only New Year’s Resolution I’ve ever kept! The first story I wrote was, well, not so good, but then I wrote another, and then another. It was the fourth novel—a historical romance set in Ancient Rome called Soothsayer—that I ended up publishing, and that book was followed by two more (Admonition and Birthright). My next book was Amulet, which I released in April of 2024 through The Wild Rose Press. That first book I wrote as my 2016 New Year’s resolution has since been significantly re-written and edited, and it will be published through The Wild Rose Press next year (it’s called Timeless, and it holds a special place in my heart!). Although my path to being a writer has been long and convoluted, I’m happy to have come as far as I have and look forward to what comes next on the journey!
Author Bio:
Contact The Author:
Email - kathrynamurra@gmail.com
Website & Newsletter Sign-up - https://www.kathrynamurra.com/
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/kathrynamurra/
Twitter - @AmurraKathryn
Goodreads - https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20280375.Kathryn_Amurra
BookBub - https://www.bookbub.com/books/amulet-heart-s-true-desire-book-1-by-kathryn-amurra
Buy Links:
Amazon - https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0CSZG3YW3/
Nook - https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/amulet-kathryn-amurra/1144656859?ean=2940186000730
Kobo - https://www.kobo.com/in/en/ebook/amulet-16
Giveaway:
Kathryn is offering Three eBook Copies of Amulet to Three Lucky Winners!
The giveaway is open internationally.
Runs from 12:00 AM EST on July 15 to 12:00 AM EST on August 3, 2024.
Hosted By:
Quill and Ink Book Tours
https://quillandinkbooktours.com/
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