Friday, March 1, 2013

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!

29 comments:

  1. +JMJ+

    This sounds cute! I think I know what the twist is, but that wouldn't stop me from reading this one. ;-)

    As for lucky charms, I'm willing to be open minded about them, but I don't really expect them to work. LOL! Two years ago, a friend bought herself a "rose crystal" bracelet which was supposed to bring luck in love. And her dating life really did take off when she started wearing it! Since I was in a relationship rut at the time as well, she got me a bracelet of my own. I wore it for three months and . . . NOTHING! =P But it would have been really nice if it had worked, of course. LOL!

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    1. lol! How did her relationship work out?

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    2. +JMJ+

      Well, she had a bunch of dates with some really great guys . . . but to tell you the truth, nothing permanent came of them. So I guess her luck came in the form of opportunities, while the hard work was still up to her! =)

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    3. That's such an interesting story! Thank you for sharing!

      Marie

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  2. I think lucky charms help you feel positive and you can make your own luck
    debby236 at gmail dot com

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  3. i hope lily didn't pay or made him okay to be interesting... annabel would be so disappointed!

    i keep my mind open for lucky charms because even if they just give you a little more confidence because you believe it's a way to help. Do i have one... i have something that rassure, confort me when i have a exam for example... doesn't influe,ce the result but i feel better^^

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    Replies
    1. I agree. Anything that helps you feel better is worth looking into. When you feel confident, you are capable of making things happen for yourself! :D

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  4. I do. I think its your faith in the item that makes it true. So maybe the item isnt really lucky but because you believe it so that it is. If that makes any sense. :) Thanks!
    -Amber
    goodblinknpark(AT)yahoo(DOT)Com

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  5. It's all about faith- if you have enough, you don't need a "lucky charm" if you don't have enough, you may think you need the "lucky charm" and therefore put your faith in it instead of in yourself.

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  6. I don't believe in lucky charms. However I have gotten lucky a few times :)
    Thanks,
    Lori

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  7. I hope Etienne doesn't turn out to be a jerk. I'd like to learn his reason for leaving abruptly the evening before.

    Lucky Charms? I used to eat them when I was a kid. They're magically delicious! LOL. Otherwise, I do like charms, like on charm bracelets, and I have prayer beads and St. Jerome and St. Anthony medals. I guess these can all be considered charms.

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    Replies
    1. I like lucky charms too! I hadn't thought of religious medals as good luck charms more as a focal point for prayers. I guess I can see your point though.

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  8. I do believe in lucky charms. But it can take form in several different things...like a necklace that is a comforting reminder of a loved one, my favorite outfit that makes me feel on top of the world, my favorite shoes that just make me feel good. Lucky charms come in a few different forms for me.

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    Replies
    1. Yes but you are not expecting them to perform for you. You just get a confidence boost from them right?

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    2. Yes...but when things go right I do give credit to those specific things because of the extra boost of confidence or luck that they brought me

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    3. I understand. My sister has shirts that she wore one time and then never wore again because she was wearing them when she had a bad day. I think it is nonsense but to each her own! :-)

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    4. LOL, okay I have never gone that far. I would at least give the shirts a few chances...heehee

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    5. That's what I told her. I said if you don't at least try it again, How do you know it was the shirt that brought the bad luck? She just says it's not worth the risk to find out. lol!

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  9. Thank you for featuring Lucky Charm today!

    Love everyone's comments! What a great turnout! I hope to see you all at the next stop!

    Marie

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    Replies
    1. You are welcome! I'm looking forward to reading it. :-)

      Thanks. I have a great bunch of commenters don't I?

      Delete
  10. I don't think the power is in the charm, but in the belief that they work. Thank you for the great giveaway!

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  11. I want to say Yes, but I think a more accurate description of what I believe would be: that thinking something is lucky can give us the confidence to succeed. You think something is a sure thing, then you stop trying too hard and let things happen.

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  12. This looks like an interesting read! Thanks for sharing!

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