Who Says You Can't Go Home?

  

 

Who Says You Can't Go Home?

by Andria Henry

GENRE: Contemporary Romance

When Toronto party girl Kylie is fired from her perfect job, she's forced to do the one thing she never wanted to do: go home. Returning to her sleepy hometown is her definition of failure. She drags herself back to the lakeside town of Camden with her tail between her legs, and she'll do whatever it takes to get back to the big city.

When Derek runs a routine traffic stop on a speeder, the one person he never expects to see in Camden
again is Kylie. In fact, he barely recognizes her. She doesn't look like the quiet, sweet girl he had a crush on in high school.

Kylie's brother offers her a job back in the city if she can prove she’s changed her ways. She finds the perfect opportunity, but it means working with Derek to save the town’s waterfront. Can she look past their feud and get the job done?

Can she avoid falling in love with him and complicating her plans to return to the big city?

Excerpt:

Derek took a long sip of his coffee. The one improvement he made to the station when he took over was to buy a high-end coffee maker with a grinder and a collection of fresh beans. He used his own money of course, but it came in handy when talking things out with members of the town. Conversations always went better when they started with “Mmmm, this is good coffee”.

He had finally opened his ticket pad to put Kylie’s speeding fine into the computer system and he sat, staring at it. The address listed on her license was in downtown Toronto, and as curiosity got the better of him, he brought up the street view online.

It was a high rise, lacking in character, all steel and concrete on the outside. He pictured her coming out the front doors on her way to work in the morning. What could her job in the city be? In his mind, she wore a fashionable trench coat and high heels. Her long hair was in a tight ponytail, and she had the slight scowl on her face he figured all people in the city had. It didn’t feel right. She didn’t fit in there. Where was her easy smile from when they were young?

He imagined her stopping at a cart for coffee and a croissant, but then a handsome man in a suit approached her and kissed her on the cheek. Of course, she had a boyfriend in Toronto. How could she not, as gorgeous as she was? What kind of man would this new Kylie be with?

About the Author:

Andria Henry is the author of adult sweet romance and romantic comedy, as well as young adult and middle grade science fiction and fantasy. She firmly believes that coffee is a food group, the holiday season starts on November 1st, and that stories are our most important resource. She lives with her husband, kids, and furkids in Hamilton, Ontario.

Q&A With the Author

Who is your favorite author and why?

I love Emily Henry! Her writing is so fun and witty and swoony. I will absolutely admit to reading her books with post-its handy to study her craft. I would love to write like her someday. If you haven’t read her yet, I highly recommend.

What is your favorite quote and why?

My favourite quote is from Carrie Fisher, "Stay afraid, but do it anyway. What's important is the action. You don't have to wait to be confident. Just do it and eventually the confidence will follow."

There is always something new I want to try and talk myself into reasons why I can’t. For example, I’ve always wanted to try roller skating, but was afraid of looking silly or falling. But I’m glad I listened to Carrie’s advice instead of my own insecurities, because now I love roller skating!

What, in your opinion, are the most important elements of good writing?

Wow, there are a lot of things that go into making a story good. I think the most important thing to me is heart. I can tell when a writer is writing from their heart and some element of their own experiences. That really anchors a story for me and makes it relatable. I’m a character reader so I love reading books that are tight to a character’s point of view, like we’re seeing the world through what they see, smell, hear, and feel. And I love a bit of whimsy in writing. Depending on the subject, of course, but I think the most fun books (even the darker ones) have a touch of whimsy or humour.

What is your favorite part of this story?

One of my favourite scenes in the book is when Kylie is visiting her new friend Forrest at the retirement home and she’s feeling lost and confused about what she’s supposed to do with her life and where she’s supposed to be. He gives her this advice:

“When I was in the navy, sometimes the condition of the seas would shift without warning. A storm would drop in on us, or we’d see one coming our way. We’d have to change our course according to the condition of the seas. It seems to me like you’ve hit rough seas, and maybe this is an opportunity to change course.”

Which Character was the most fun to write about? Why?

The most fun character to write in this book has to be Kylie’s best friend, Audrey. She’s the sassy sidekick to the max who gives sage advice, and then drops pop culture references in the same breath. She’s not afraid to be herself and spreads kindness like other people spread gossip. I had a lot of fun writing her and I’m so excited that she’s going to get her own story later in the series!

Which Character was the hardest to write about? Why?

Our main character Derek was the hardest to write. He’s someone who stepped up as a new adult to take care of his pregnant younger sister after their parent’s died. Derek carries a lot of weight and feels a lot of responsibility to his family and his town. I was barely paying my phone bills at that age, so I had to really think about how to show the pressure he felt. Thank goodness for my editor! 

 

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GIVEAWAY

Andria Henry will be awarding a $25 Amazon/BN GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.

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