Starting over is hard no matter when you do it. For me, I moved around a lot growing up, and I tended to reinvent myself at each new school that I went to. One high school I was a rocker girl, one high school I was a cowgirl, and one high school I was a cheerleader. And as a typical middle child, I liked to make a statement on my first day. In retrospect, wearing ankle boots and leather pants probably wasn’t the best choice to wear on my first day of eleventh grade. But remember it was the eighties, so leather pants were all the rage because David Lee Roth and Eddie Van Halen were wearing them.
For me, the worst part of starting over was always the part where I had to say goodbye and let something or someone go. Packing to move to a new house meant purging my stuff and getting rid of things. This is still hard for me. So, I hold on to friends forever and I hate getting rid of anything! I will hold on to the dumbest stuff just because it has sentimental value. And clothes- oh my gosh- I probably still have those leather pants buried somewhere in my closet!
In my new book, Tucked Away, the heroine, Charlie leaves the city and everything she knows behind and starts a new life on a farm in Montana. She knows nothing about cows, or goats, or how to handle the feelings she has for Zack, the hunky veterinarian who she meets when he accidentally assaults her with a toilet brush and a bag of dog food.
I love stories where the characters face adversity and overcome their fears. For Charlie, she has to learn to trust again, to make tough decisions, and to find a way to make a new place her home. Just like I had to back in high school when I showed up at a new school as the 5’9” skinny blonde girl who didn’t even have the skills to play basketball going for her (and believe me, the basketball coach of every school always found me on my first day).
I’m so excited to share Charlie’s story with you. I’m giving away a kindle copy of the book to a random commenter who shares a time when they had to start over. Whether it was at a new job, a new school, in a new town, or new neighborhood. Share a funny thing that happened or something that made you feel out of place or totally awkward. It’s much more fun to tell now that it’s over.
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Tucked Away
Charlie Ryan’s cheating fiancé left her with a broken heart and even broker bank account. She’s hit rock bottom, but everything is about to change. Suddenly, she’s inherited a Montana farm named Tucked Away from a grandmother she never knew existed. A fresh start is just what she needs—and no men in her future this time, even if the local vet is as hot as a Montana summer.
Zack Cooper is content with his simple life. Running his veterinary practice and raising his daughter are enough to keep him busy, and he doesn’t need a high-maintenance city girl like his ex who plans to sell her grandma’s ranch and split faster than a setting sun. So why can’t he stop thinking about Charlie and her hot-pink cowboy boots…and the way her eyes say she wants to stay while her lips tease him with plans of leaving?
Just when both start to believe love might be worth the risk…one night will change everything.
Great post, Jennie! Sounds like you made a big impression at all your new schools! I’m looking forward to reading Tucked Away! 🙂