VBT: Giveaway & Excerpt ~ Lucky Charm by Marie Astor

BLURB:

Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, Annabel meets a new love interest, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.


Here is an excerpt for you to sample:

Just then Madam Roux entered the room. She was panting as she carried a giant basket of lilies that was almost half her size.

“Looks like one of you has a secret admirer,” Madam Roux announced, as she placed the basket on the table.

“Lilly, you lucky girl!” Annabel sighed wistfully.

“Let’s see!” Lilly jumped off her chair and reached for the card. As she looked at the name on the envelope, her eyebrows rose in surprise. “Wrong guess!” She smiled slyly at Annabel. “These are for you.”

“For me?” Annabel exclaimed in disbelief. “This can’t be. It’s got to be a mistake.”

“I guess we’ll find out soon enough.” Lilly put the card before Annabel and sat back in her chair. “So, who is it from? Don’t torment me!”

Her head spinning from the sweet aroma of the lilies that filled the room, Annabel opened the card envelope with trembling hands. No one had ever sent her flowers before. Her jaw dropped when she saw the inside of the card:

Dear Annabel, Please forgive me for leaving so abruptly last night. I had a previous commitment to which I had to attend. I enjoyed meeting you immensely. Is there any chance I might see you again? I will be at Musee d’Orsay today at noon. It would be delightful if you could join me there. E.

He did not have to spell out his complete name for her to know who he was: the obnoxious jerk who had snubbed her the night before had sent her a giant bouquet of lilies this morning. Now, what was she to make of that?

“So???” Lilly rapped her fingers on the table impatiently.

Without a word, Annabel handed her the card.

“What do you think I should do?” she stammered, although she already knew the answer to Etienne’s question. Yes, she would see him again, if only to find out more about what kind of guy walked out on a date and sent flowers the next morning to apologize.

“This is so romantic!” Lilly exclaimed.

“Well, it wasn’t very romantic last night,” Annabel reminded her.

“Yes, but maybe there really was a reason why he had to leave so suddenly? I think you should give him another chance. He must have really liked you.”

“I liked him too,” Annabel admitted, “a lot.”

Annabel’s heels made staccato clicks as she walked along the Seine to the Musee d’Orsay. She was wearing a lilac silk dress with a flowing skirt that hit just above the knee, with matching lilac pumps. It was an outfit she had bought at the insistence of a suave saleswoman at a small boutique near her job. It was an impulsive purchase, which Annabel regretted afterwards. Why spend so much money on a dress when she had nowhere to wear it to? She had almost returned the dress, but at the last minute decided to hold on to it and packed the outfit for her Paris trip. Now she was glad that she did. She had intended to save the outfit for a special event, but when she read Etienne’s card asking her to meet him, she instantly knew that this was the dress she would wear. Normally, for a museum outing, Annabel would have opted for much more practical attire of jeans and flats, but this was no ordinary museum trip. This was a date with a strikingly handsome, albeit somewhat bad-tempered Frenchman. Or at least she thought it was a date, which made perfect sense, given the flowers. But then again, she had no idea what to expect. The suspense gave her butterflies in her stomach and made her feel like she was a teenager all over again, on the way to her first date.

Links:
Website 
Facebook 
Goodreads 
Twitter

Purchase: 
Amazon

About the Author:  

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, On the Rim of Love, romantic suspense, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection, A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of young adult fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

If you would like to learn more about Marie’s writing, please stop by her website or visit her on Facebook. The links are all listed above for your convenience!


Marie will be awarding to five randomly drawn commenters at the end of the tour (US ONLY), one of the following five custom-designed jewelry prizes:             


      



Prize 1: Smoky quartz necklace with sterling silver flower clasp           

Prize 2: Lapis and labradorite necklace with sterling silver clasp

Prize 3: Kayanite and turquoise sterling silver necklace

Prize 4: Onyx and red agate sterling silver bracelet

Prize 5: Jade, amber and red agate necklace


Remember, as always the more comments you leave on the tour, the better your chances of winning!


Here is the link for the Tour Schedule.


Do you believe in lucky charms?


I don't really believe that anything can give you luck. Who knows maybe I just haven't found my lucky charm yet! I do like Lucky Charms cereal though. lol! 

I'd love to know what you're thinking. Please leave a comment!