5/27/2013

Long-Lost Loves


By Susan Mallery

With more than 25 million books sold worldwide, New York Times bestselling author Susan Mallery is known for creating characters who feel as real as the folks next door, and for putting them into emotional, often funny situations readers recognize from their own lives. 

Susan’s books have made Booklist’s Top 10 Romances list in four out of five consecutive years. RT Book Reviews says, “When it comes to heartfelt contemporary romance, Mallery is in a class by herself.” With her popular, ongoing Fool’s Gold series, Susan has reached new heights on the bestsellers lists and has won the hearts of countless new fans.

Susan grew up in southern California, moved so many times that her friends stopped writing her address in pen, and now has settled in Seattle with her husband and the most delightfully spoiled little dog who ever lived. Visit Susan online.

JUST ONE KISS Exclusive Video.

Remember that boy from high school, the one who you thought about while listening to romantic songs on the radio, by yourself, in the dark, sobbing because he didn’t return your feelings? Remember how seeing him in the hallways at school made your breath catch in your throat? And if he caught your gaze and smiled at you, your spirits soared.

Remember him?

What if he was your best friend? And what if you went to his house before school one day so you could walk together as you always did… only he was gone?

Gone-gone. The doors were open, the closets were empty, and you never saw him again. He just… disappeared.

That’s what happened to Patience McGraw when she was a teen. As JUST ONE KISS begins 15 years later, Patience is at work in a salon in Fool’s Gold, California when Justice returns.

"Patience?"

She didn't recognize the male voice, but turned anyway. A man stood in the entrance of the shop. He was tall, with dark gold-blond hair and deep blue eyes. His shoulders were broad and he had the kind of face that would be happy up on a movie screen. Nice, but she had no idea who he...
She felt the cape flutter to the floor as she really looked at the man moving toward her. He was a few inches taller, a lot more muscular, but his eyes... They were exactly the same. They even crinkled when he smiled at her.

"Hello, Patience."

She was fourteen again, standing in that empty house, more scared than she'd ever been in her life. There hadn't been any answers. Not then or since. No solution to the mystery. Just questions and a gnawing sense that something had gone terribly wrong.

"Justice?" she asked, her voice more breath than sound. "Justice?"

He gave her a slight shrug. The familiar gesture was enough to send her flying across the shop. She flung herself at him, determined to hang on this time.

He caught her against him and held on to her nearly as tightly as she held on to him. He was warm and solid and real. She pressed her head against his shoulder and inhaled the scent of him. A clean, masculine smell that had nothing to do with the boy she remembered. This wasn't happening, she thought, still dazed. Justice couldn't be back.

Yet he was, and here. But the man was very different from the boy and the moment got awkward quickly.

Justice has returned to Fool’s Gold to open a bodyguard academy with a few of his ex-military buddies. (This is Fool’s Gold, where we go light on danger and heavy on humor, charm, and fun, flirty romance.) Justice leapt at the chance to return to the town that took him in at a very tense point in his life, and he was eager to see Patience again, his sassy, beautiful friend.

She’s just as open-hearted as she was back then, unstained by the darkness in the world, darkness he lives with every day. The moment Justice holds her in his arms, he vows to protect her from himself. Patience is everything good and pure in the world, and he won’t ruin that. She draws him like sunlight on a cold day, but though he can’t resist the need to be near her, to kiss her, he won’t allow himself to fall in love.

Enter the JUST ONE KISS blog tour contest once a day every day from May 28 through June 9 for a chance to win a $25 Amazon or BN.com gift card! And because this blog was set up by Fool’s Gold Cheerleader  Brenda Rumsey, if you win, she’ll win a gift card, too!


Are you still in touch with the boy or boys you had a crush on in high school? Did they grow up to be as cute as you thought they would?

40 comments:

  1. Release day is TOMORROW 28 May 2013 for Susan Mallery's "Just One Kiss". A great addition to the Fool's Gold lineup.

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  2. I went to High School in Australia so I have no idea what they look like.

    Kit3247(at)aol(dot)com

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  3. I am not in touch with my first girlhood crush. But this passed weekend, I so many boys I went to school with at the 100th Anniversary of the public school I went to. It brought back so many fond memories of those idyllic times.

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    1. Oh wow, that must've been amazing, Kathleen! Glad you had a good time.

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  4. I truly think it would be awarkward to see my first girlhood crush. No idea where he is. Back then if he had talked to me as if he was interested instead of a "friend" I prolly would have married him and we would have grown old together. Ahh I waited for 5 more years before I met the man I was destine to marry. Yep Im still with him and hitting 50 next year. Oh so glad I waited a bit and happy with this one forever. Loved our review.

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    1. I always love hearing from readers who are happily married. I believe with all of my heart that happiness is possible, and not as rare as some cynics would have us think.

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  5. Wow! WHAT an intro! Definitely a must-read!

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  6. No, I'm not in touch with my high school crush, and I'd have to (happily) say he didn't age so well. ;) We're having a reunion this summer, so things might have changed. Can't wait for more Fool's Gold books this summer!!

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    1. LOL! There is a perverse satisfaction in knowing that someone who broke your heart didn't age well. ;)

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  7. No not in touch with boyfriend/HS crush and wouldn't matter to me how they look/grew up. Happily married 32 years in July, dated for 5 before that and we have a 22 year old son that just graduated college and has a job in his field starting in October!
    Love the Fool's Gold books and can't wait for book 2. Already have book 3 to review.

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    1. Congratulations on your son graduating college! And already with a job... that must make you so proud!

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  8. So in love with the Fools Gold books! With each one you get to know more and more about them! It is a place I want to move to! I love the small town feel! Don't know if I would want to meet up with my High School Crush....lol Love the land of Happy endings though!

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    1. Let's all move to Fool's Gold together! We'll meet up in Jo's Bar and watch a House Hunters marathon on the big screen TVs!

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  9. Love these easy-read books. I live reality so, love getting lost in these romance novels. While stuck at home taking care of my 93 year old mom who has a little dementia, it's a way to dream of a knight in shinning armor. I never met mine — no one as handsome, seductive oh and throw in extremely wealthy as the guys in Susan's books. Where were all these guys when I was young, I"m old now and they live on in my imagination.

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    1. There's nothing quite as wonderful as getting lost in a wonderful book. Thanks for stopping by! Hope you'll enjoy JUST ONE KISS.

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  10. First first girlhood crush was Pieter Biehm in 4th grade in Germany. No idea what happened to him....but I am now married to my love at first sight guy and we've been together for almost 30 years. There are happy endings and I love reading all about them in Susan's Series.

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    1. There are! I'm living mine, too. Your comment made me happy, Judie. Fool's Gold high five!

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  11. I always enjoy visiting Fool's Gold and Susan's new book JUST ONE KISS is a wonderful story of hope and strength and love. Hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
    My first love was a couple years older than me and worked for my father until joining the military. We wrote wonderful letters to each other, then they suddenly stopped and I found out he had been killed walking back to base from a weekend pass. But I've found my happy ever after and in October we will be celebrating 40 years together.

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    1. Oh wow, Brenda. I'm so sorry to hear about your first love. Today must have very special meaning to you.

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  12. Welcome to GLIAS, Susan. The excerpt and video are great!
    ~Angi

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    1. Thank you, Angi! I had a lot of fun filming those videos. (I'll be releasing one per week on Facebook throughout the summer.) The videographer, Dani, is terrific!

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  13. Love your site and love Susan Mallery's new series of "Fool's Gold" books for the summer. I could not wait until the latest book, "Just One Kiss" is out!! Love "Fool's Gold", I wish I could move there!! No high school crush for me, I was 5' 10" in high school and raised on a farm, those two things were enough to keep every guy away!! I was taller than most of the guys in my school, but hey every ugly duckling gets it day! Can't wait for the rest of the books!! Dee

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    1. Dee, had to say I would love to be 5'10". HOPE you enjoy it now. :-)
      ~Angi

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    2. Dee, Those guys missed out! High school guys are not known for their excellent taste. ;)

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  14. Sounds like a wonderful series.

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    1. Thank you! I hope you'll give it a try. You can jump in with JUST ONE KISS. It can be read as a standalone.

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  15. A "feel good" romance for sure. I love the Fools Gold series.

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    1. Thank you! I'm so glad readers love Fool's Gold as much as I do. I love this quirky little town!!!!!

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  16. I love long lost love stories! And I've heard wonderful things about the Fool's Gold series. I think this is the one to read! :)

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    1. Oh, that's great, Gjillian! I hope you'll love JUST ONE KISS.

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  17. Thank you so much for your hospitality today, lost ones! :) I enjoyed it. Such a wonderful break from obsessing about release week. Even after all these books, I don't handle release week well. I'm a ball of nerves!

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  18. Can't wait for this series! Love Fool's Gold!!

    My friend and I would leave little Post-It notes on our crushes lockers. We would get so giddy watching them read the note and wondered who left it. We were both too chicken and awkward to fess up.

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  19. Love returning to Fools Gold and getting to see old friends while making new friends. That's how much a part of this world Susan makes us feel. What a great author and what a series.

    Patst

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  20. Susan, welcome to Get Lost in a Story. So excited to have you here with us and what a wonderful blog and video. Thank you! I still keep in touch with old boyfriends, but am happy that I married the right guy. And, boy, do I remember the sobbing and the drama! Best wishes on Just One Kiss!

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  21. Just One Kiss was fabulous! I l LOVED IT! It is a great book to start off our summer reading! Justice and Patience match perfectly with each other and in the Fool's Gold town. The struggles each face with their families we can find pieces we relate with allowing us closer to the characters in the book. Susan Mallery delivers again! This book is a must read on everyone's summer reading list! Enjoy!

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  22. I loved this book and really identified with Patience who went after her lifelong dream. Susan Mallery never disappoints with this series and I recommend everyone go out and read this series!

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  23. Always love returning to Fool's Gold. It is like returning home!! I had a crush on a guy in high school, but he was a bad boy. I stayed away. I just did not want to deal with that.

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