Monday, April 17, 2017

Excerpt Tour & Giveaway: Susan Mallery's Secrets of the Tulip Sisters






Secrets of the Tulip Sisters
By Susan Mallery
Publisher: HQN
Release Date: July 11, 2017
Available for Pre-Order:
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Books-A-Million



Kelly Murphy's life as a tulip farmer is pretty routine—up at dawn, off to work, lather, rinse, repeat. But everything changes one sun-washed summer with two dramatic homecomings: Griffith Burnett—Tulpen Crossing's prodigal son, who's set his sights on Kelly—and Olivia, her beautiful, wayward and, as far as Kelly is concerned, unwelcome sister. Tempted by Griffith, annoyed by Olivia, Kelly is overwhelmed by the secrets that were so easy to keep when she was alone. 
But Olivia's return isn't as triumphant as she pretends. Her job has no future and, ever since her dad sent her away from the bad boy she loved, she has felt cut off from her past. She's determined to reclaim her man and her place in the family…whether her sister likes it or not. For ten years, she and Kelly have been strangers. Olivia will get by without her approval now. 
While Kelly and Olivia butt heads, their secrets tumble out in a big, hot mess, revealing some truths that will change everything they thought they knew. Can they forgive each other—and themselves—and redefine what it means to be sisters? 

Excerpt:

Kelly Murphy was willing to accept certain injustices in the world. That brownies had more calories than celery. That wearing white pants meant getting her period—regardless of where she was in her cycle. That her car would be low on gas only on days when she was running late. What she did not appreciate or accept was the total unfairness of Griffith Burnett not only returning to Tulpen Crossing, Washington nearly a year ago, but apparently waking up last month and deciding that stalking her was how he was going to spend his day.

The man was everywhere. Every. Where. He was the aphid swarm in the garden of her life. He was kudzu and rain at an outdoor wedding and someone blurting out the end of a movie right when you were getting to the good part, all rolled into one.

“You’re putting a lot of energy into the man,” Helen Sperry pointed out in a let’s-humor-the-crazy-girl tone.

“This isn’t about me,” Kelly told her. “I’m not the one who’s always there. I’m not the one lurking.”

“If you keep seeing him wherever you go, a case could be made that you’re stalking him.”

“I’m not going to dignify that with a response,” Kelly muttered as she pulled in front of the craft mall and parked her truck.

“Did you know Griffith back in high school?” Helen asked. “You’re what? Three years younger? You couldn’t have had the same friends.”

“We didn’t. I was a sophomore when he was a senior,” Kelly admitted. “We didn’t have any classes together.”

But not having the same classes in no way meant she hadn’t known who he was. Everyone had known Griffith Burnett. He’d been one of those godlike figures blessed with good looks, a brain and athletic talent. She’d been the slightly weird girl he’d never noticed…until he’d broken her delicate, young girl’s heart.

“I’m sure him being everywhere you are is just one of those things,” Helen said. “I’m sorry to use logic, but we live in a tiny, little town. You and I cross paths with each other all the time. I see you like five hundred times a day.”

Kelly smiled. “But we’re friends and I like seeing you.”

“Back at you.” Helen looked at her. “You okay or is there something going on I don’t know about?”

“Nothing but Griffith,” Kelly told her. “I’m sure you’re right. I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that I can’t take two steps without seeing him.” Words that sounded great but that she didn’t believe for a second.

If she were anyone else, or if he weren’t who he was, she might think he was interested in her…in a boy-girl kind of way. He always spoke to her when he saw her, and smiled. His gaze seemed to linger. But there was no way he wanted anything like that from her. Kelly had proof.

Thirteen years and some odd months ago, she’d turned a corner and run into Griffith. She’d been on her way to AP English and he’d been…well, she had no idea what he’d been doing. For less than a second, as her books had gone flying, she and Griffith had been plastered together from chest to thigh. She’d never been so close to a boy before. Never been so aware…so everything.

Then he’d stepped back. He’d helped her pick up her books, winked when she’d stuttered an apology then had lightly, and oh so gently, squeezed her hand before she’d darted off to the safety of her class.

In those magic seconds, when his fingers had touched hers and their eyes had locked together, she’d fallen totally and completely in love with Griffith.

It had been the kind of true love born only of a pure and inexperienced heart. She’d never even been kissed. From that moment on, she dreamed only of Griffith.

Just a week later, she’d walked by him standing with his friends. One of the guys had called out something about her being “doable.” A gross and disgusting comment that had made her cringe, but that had been nothing compared to Griffith’s casually uttered, “I couldn’t be less interested.”

She’d been devastated and had immediately turned and run. She’d been so upset and hurt that she’d needed somewhere to put all that emotion. That evening she’d had a fight with her mother, the kind where things best left unsaid were spoken and lives altered forever. Kelly knew in her head that what had happened with Griffith had nothing to do with her mother walking out on their family less than twelve hours later, but for her, the two incidents were forever linked.

She shook off the memories and grabbed her copy of Eat, Pray, Love. Their book club was discussing it tonight—for the third time—and she vowed that from this second on, she wouldn’t think about Griffith ever again. At least not for the next three hours.

She followed Helen out of the truck and into Petal Pushers—the name du jour for the local craft mall the town hoped would be a tourist draw. There were booths where people could sell everything from handmade crafts to antiques to food. At the far end of the huge space was a big stage and reception area, along with a few community meeting rooms. All that was missing were the tourists. Vacationers loved to come to Tulpen Crossing for the tulip festival every spring, but beyond that, not so much.

Kelly wanted to say that wasn’t her problem, but as a member of the tourism development committee, she did have a vested interest in getting people back to their small slice of heaven.

It was early on Tuesday night and Petal Pushers was closed. The long corridor to the meeting rooms was dimly lit and their footsteps echoed on the worn linoleum—Kelly’s more than Helen’s, actually. Probably because while Helen wore cute flats, Kelly hadn’t bothered to change out of her work boots. Or her jeans. Or her slightly stained T-shirt.

One day, she promised herself. One day she would care about clothes and buy a push-up bra and be, if not girly, then at least vaguely feminine. She should let Helen inspire her.

Her friend was tall, with inky black hair that fell past her shoulders, and startlingly blue eyes. She had plenty of curves and always managed to look sexy, no matter what she wore. Helen worried about carrying a few extra pounds, but Kelly didn’t see that at all. Helen was lush while Kelly was…boring. She had brown hair she wore in a ponytail. Brown eyes. No curves, no noticeable features at all. She was plain.

She supposed she could do something to be more Helen-like but who had the time? And even if every few months she swore she was going to do something about her appearance—like wear mascara—she quickly got distracted and forgot. Until the next time. 

So here she was, clumping along in boots that might or might not have mud on them. At least book club would be fun. There was always good conversation and wine. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I don't know about you but after reading that excerpt I can't wait to find out more about Kelly, Griffith, Olivia, and everyone else in Tulpen Crossing. I'm off to pre-order Secrets of the Tulip Sisters!   

Do you ever pre-order books or do you wait until they are released?

Have you read Susan Mallery's books? Do you have a favorite book or series?

Kelly's hometown of Tulpen Crossing is known for its Tulip Festival. For what is your town or region known?

One very lucky person who leaves a comment before 11:00 PM (EST) April 18, 2017 will receive a beautiful bouquet of tulips from Susan Mallery. The winner decides who will receive this lovely bouquet. You can have it sent to you, a friend, a relative...whoever you choose! **U.S. only**

To receive the tulips, the winner must provide their name, phone number, and the name and address of their chosen recipient.

For a full list of the tour stops, click below:

49 comments:

  1. I usually wait for books to be released, but have pre-ordered several anthologies lately. If the book is part of a series, unless it is the last one, there is no rush to order it. I try to have all the books in a series before reading them.
    I have read a few Susan Mallery books, but really have no favorite.
    Our region has quite a few festivals. The biggest in our town is the International Storytelling Festival. It is held every year the first full weekend of October. It is a wonderful people watching opportunity. There are tellers and attendees from all over the world. Great for a little town, Jonesborough, in Northeast Tennessee.

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    1. A storytelling festival sounds AMAZING!!! What fun!

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  2. I love Susan's Fools Gold series! Two of a Kind is my favorite.

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    1. Oh, Felicia and Gideon! Felicia was such a fun character to write, but really challenging. She is far smarter than I am, so I was constantly running to the internet to research the facts she knew off the top of her head. I was nervous readers would find her a little too quirky, but she's a character readers cite again and again as a favorite.

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  3. I too wait for the book releases because if I pre -- ordered all the books I want I'd be in debt :) Tulips are my favorite flower Our town is known as the birthplace of Movies and Thomas A. Edison. I Iove Susan Mallery's books.
    Carol L
    Lucky4750 (at) aol (dot) com

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    1. Thank you, Carol! As you might have guessed, I love tulips, too. :) Such richness of color, and great variety. I hope you'll enjoy SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS.

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  4. I'm so blessed to be able to read your books...I love all of them!❤

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  5. I pre-order from authors I love, and Susan Mallery is no exception. I love the Fool's Gold series, but recently am finding I'm loving Mischief Bay even more!

    Our town is known for the annual corn harvest festival that brings crafters and food vendors from all over the state.

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    1. Thank you, Amy! I'm so glad you're enjoying the Mischief Bay series. If you've read A MILLION LITTLE THINGS, you'll be happy to know that Lucas will be returning next year as one of the main characters in Mischief Bay book 4, as yet untitled.

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  6. I've been reading Susan Mallery's books for years, so choosing a favorite is tough. Barefoot Season probably tops my list, but I am a big Fool's Gold fan, with All Summer Long and Two of a Kind tied for favorite in that series. I was privileged to receive an ARC of Secrets of the Tulip Sisters. I've already read it, and I have no hesitation in declaring it another winner from Susan Mallery.

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    1. I forgot to add that my hometown has an annual Hydrangea Festival.

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    2. Thank you, Janga! That is so good to hear!!!

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  7. I am 50/50 on the book ordering. Some authors it is part of the can't wait thing and I must know that I have a copy reserved and other authors it is let's wait and see what the reviews say about this one. Christine Dood and Susan Mallery are always good so you never have to worry about the preorder! I am a big Fool's Gold Fan especially love Mayor Marsha... My hometown has a large number of NEW covered bridges as well as old ones so each fall they have a Covered Bridge Festival. A good enough reason to return to a place called Ashtabula, which is also known for its domestic wine.

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    1. I'm honored that I'm on your auto-buy list, Marcy. Thank you. <3

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  8. Susan Mallery's books are captivating and my favorite is The friends We keep. My hometown has a huge balloon Fiesta every fall. I rarely pre-order but wait for the book to become available.

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    1. THE FRIENDS WE KEEP was fun to write because I loved giving Nicole her happily ever after, after giving her such a rough road in THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY. It felt good to see her so happy!

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  9. I wait for the book to be released. I love anticipating reading a new book. Susan's novels give me hope and my favorite series is Mischief Bay. Our hometown has an annual bread & Honey festival which everyone loves.

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  10. I often pre-order a book by my favorite authors. They have to sell books to ,ark a living. The first week of sales and pre-orders influences rankings on the best seller list.

    My favorite series is Fool's Gold but I'm also loving Mischief Bay.

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    1. Wow, so many shout-outs for Mischief Bay today. I love it! Thank you, Becky. If you enjoy the Mischief Bay books, I think you'll love SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS. I consider it a romance-plus. It has strong romantic storylines, plus at its core, it's a story of sisterhood and friendship.

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  11. I've read many Susan Mallery books. My favorite was actually released just last year--Daughters of the Bride. It ranked as one of my top reads of 2016. I'm looking forward to the Tulip sisters. Thanks for the post.

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    1. Thank you so much! DAUGHTERS OF THE BRIDE came out last year in hardcover, ebook, and audio. In about six weeks, it's coming out in paperback. I'm truly honored to be on your top reads list.

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  12. I don't usually preorder a book unless it's a limited edition.

    I became a big fan of Susan's writing after reading Daughters of the Bride. Before that I had only read two of her books. Now I recommend her books to family and friends! Cannot wait to read this book.

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    1. Thank you for recommending me! Word-of-mouth is by far the best way to get books into the hands of readers who will love them. I appreciate your generosity of spirit, Terry.

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  13. I've read a lot of the Fool's Gold and Mischief Bay series.

    denise

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  14. I don't pre-order but if it is a book I want, I buy it first thing in the morning on the release day. I have read a couple of Ms Mallery's books, but do not have a favorite. I live in Austin TX - we have everything from South by Southwest to Austin City Limits music festival and everything in between. I mean how many cities do you know that have a party for Eeyore's birthday?

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  15. Susan Mallery is one of the authors whom I want to read ALL of her books - I particularly enjoyed her Fool's Gold series. I live in a small town with lots of connections to the War for Independence - lots of very old buildings and trees.

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    1. Thank you, Di! If you love Fool's Gold, just *wait* until you get to read about Happily Inc! Actually, you don't have to wait... go take a peek at www.HappilyInc.com. I'm pretty excited about my new series, which will debut in August. Fans of Fool's Gold are going to love the Happily Inc romances.

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  16. I love Susan's books and I get most of my books from the library. My hometown is famous for having a Watermelon Festival every July. It attracts a lot of people.

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  17. I preorder books all the time, usually anything new be a favorite author. I own 2 of Susan's books, but still need to read them! My town is famous for the Alamo, the Riverwalk, and thus week Fiesta begins!

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    1. I hope you'll love my books, Susan, and maybe I'll even become a new favorite author for you. :)

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  18. I love Susan Mallery's books. I usually get mine on Amazon, once they come out or at Walmart as I love print books. I live in a cranberry growing town near Cape Cod, Ma. It is full of charm and history.

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  19. Christina ConstantineApril 17, 2017 at 7:00 PM

    I usually wait until the book is released I love Susan Mallory's books just finished Marry Me at Christmas wonderful read...keep the writing coming.

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    1. Oooooh, here's some exciting news for you -- MARRY ME AT CHRISTMAS will be coming to the Hallmark Channel later this year! If you'll join my mailing list at www.susanmallery.com, I'll let you know when the movie is scheduled to air. I'm going to have some pretty fun contests linked to it, too, like a limited edition Christmas ornament.

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  20. I do pre-order books. I love all of Susan Mallory's books. And Lenexa KS is famous for its spinach.
    lorenalke@yahoo.com

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  21. I have loved reading Susan Mallery's Fool's Gold series. Favorite mayor in the world. I have started pre-ordering so that the books are there when I get ready. Several varieties of hydrangea and coral bells in our area. The botanical garden in Memphis is beautiful to walk through.

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    1. Yay! You know, we authors love preorders, Pamela. :) Thank you. SECRETS OF THE TULIP SISTERS will be out on July 11. If you preorder it, you can get a free gift with purchase here: http://bit.ly/2mWObh7

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  22. I don't preorder books very often unless I have a gift card to use up. If it's a book I really want right away, I order it on release date, I figure that a boost in sales in always a plus. Can't wait to find out more about tulip farming!
    Thanks!
    JHolden955(at)gmail(dot)com

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  23. Susan Mallery is one of my autobuy authors so I've read plenty of her books. It's really hard to pick but I think my favorite (this week) is Falling for Gracie. I do love those Fool's Gold books--who doesn't love reading about all those festivals! I'm looking forward to reading about the Tulip Sisters.

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  24. I rarely preorder books but I often read early reviews and ask my library to place an order. That usually means I am first in line when the book comes in. To my surprise, I have apparently never read a book by Susan Mallery although I have recommended her books to friends. This sounds like a good one to start with!

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  25. Many thanks to everyone who has stopped by today, especially to Susan Mallery!

    I'm having fun seeing everyone's favorite Mallery book. And, wow, there are a lot of intriguing sounding festivals and local attractions out there. I've been googling up a storm! :)

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  26. I usually pre-order books from my favorite authors. I have read many books by Susan Mallery. My favorite is Irresistible. My region has beautiful foliage in Autumn.

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  27. I usually wait, because I have plenty already "to be read".
    New author to me!
    From small Texas town known for cowboys, cotton farming, beef cattle, and gypsum....used in making sheetrock/wall board. Our well had gyp water....it was really good!

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  28. I have been reading Susan's books for years. One of my early favorites was Irresistible. Susan writes with a lot of heart.

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  29. never read this author; don't pre-order

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  30. I enjoy every book Susan writes, they are fun. I usually wait to read it until it gets out. Tulips are gorgeous.

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  31. I pre-order books from authors I love orcseries I know well. I've read (and reviewed) other works by Susan Mallery, and always enjoy her work, though it's been a while. The town where I live is a suburb of Dallas and doesn't really have its own thing. My spiritual hometown is La Paz, BCS, Mexico, where my parents retired 18 years ago. It's known for eco- tourism adventures like swimming with whale sharks.

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  32. Thanks for featuring this excerpt for the tour!

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