I love Melissa Brown’s books. It’s a fact. I love getting lost in her head and let her brand of positivity affect me, nurture me, soothe me. The third book from The Love of My Life series is coming out shortly and it tells Jason’s story. We met Jason in Champagne Toast as Kate’s writer friend and we now finally get to watch him find the love of his life.
Today, I am so very excited to show you the stunning cover of Picturing Perfect, photographed by Lisa Jordan Photography and designed by Michelle Preast at IndieBookCovers…
Expected release date: 12 June 2013
The Story
Life may not turn out like we planned, but sometimes that’s what makes it perfect…
Hadley Foster has always been a planner. But, since the age of nineteen, things haven’t exactly gone according to plan… not at all. And the changes continue to mount when a trip to Europe with her best friend starts a domino effect in all aspects of her life. Suddenly, the future she had envisioned for herself seems unlikely to happen. It’s time to make a new plan… or accept the dominoes as they fall.
Jason Kelly has a great life. He’s a successful self-published writer who’s living his dreams. But, something is missing. Hadley Foster. Letting her slip through his fingers is one of his biggest regrets. Over time, he had to accept the idea of being without his first love as he watched her fall in love with someone else.
When circumstances bring Jason and Hadley back into one another’s lives, they’re forced to deal with their past, their present and the possibility of a future together.
The Excerpt
Jason
Madeline Kramer is a royal pain in my ass. No one else’s. Just mine. She won’t cooperate. She won’t do the things I want her to do; say the things I want her to say. She’s maddening. She’s a product of my imagination and yet I can’t control her.
I’ve been stuck on Chapter 13 of this book for three weeks and it’s driving me nuts. Madeline has been the one character I could count on with my writing. The one character who led the way and spoke to me, the one who guided my books towards a suspenseful plot and a satisfying ending. She was the one who made people want to read my work. In the three books I’ve written, she’s never let me down. Until now. It’s the ‘Book 4 Curse’ my buddy, and fellow writer, Cameron warned me about. I allowed him to psych me out. That little shit.
I’ve been staring at my Mac screen for what feels like an hour. Glancing at my watch, I’m shocked to see it’s only been 15 minutes. Ugh. Maybe I need to stretch my legs. Just as I’m standing up, my cell rings. Usually I put it on vibrate when I’m writing. Must have forgotten this morning.
It’s my sister, Auden.
“Hey, sis,” I answer.
“Morning, how are ya?” I can tell she’s smiling through the phone. The ever so chipper Auden. She should be a tour guide with her always sunny personality. Although I shouldn’t give her too much hell. We’re very much alike.
“You know… better than some, not as good as others.”
“You always say that. How’s the writing?”
“Madeline won’t cooperate,” I huff.
“So, I guess it’s same old, same old.” She laughs.
“Yep, I guess so. How are you today?”
“Oh, I’m fine. I’m heading over to Hadley’s place for the day.”
“How’s she feeling?” I ask.
My sister’s best friend is slowly bouncing back from a pretty harsh case of pneumonia. I don’t want Auden to know just how concerned I am because she’ll read too much into it. So, I have to play it safe with my questions.
“She’s tough, and I know she’ll be just fine. But, she’s taking a ton of meds that make her sleep for most of the day.”
“Anything I can do?” I ask, grimacing after asking the question. I know Auden will really read way too much into that.
“Well, ain’t you sweet, big brother?” she teases.
“Whatever. I’m just writing this morning,” I say, trying not to sound defensive.
“I know you’ve always had a soft spot for Hadley,” she says and I can hear her smirking through the phone. Brat.
“She’s a nice girl,” I say, a little too defensively.
“Woman,” my sister corrects me. My brain knows that Hadley is grown up now. But, to me she’s always been my little sister’s best friend who had a pretty obvious crush on me.
She was the eight year old who used to blush when I’d enter the room. I didn’t notice, being only eleven myself, but my older sister Maya always did. Hadley was the thirteen year old who made me mix tapes with her parents’ old stereo unit when I bought my first car. At first, I was bummed that I couldn’t afford to replace the old cassette unit with a CD player, but I listened to those tapes every single day. When my dad offered to install a CD player for my birthday that year, I turned him down. That was my only tape player and I couldn’t stop listening to her tapes. “Soft spot” doesn’t even begin to tell the story of my feelings for Hadley. She’s always gotten under my skin in a way that I didn’t really understand as a teenager.
Today, I get it. But, I have no idea what to do about it. She has a boyfriend, and from what Auden tells me, they are pretty serious.
In many ways, I’ve been waiting six years for that relationship to end. And it still hasn’t. I’m not really waiting around for Hadley. I date. I date a lot, actually. And I’ve had a few serious girlfriends of my own. But, for some reason, things always come back to Hadley… my Haddie.
“Yes, woman,” I roll my eyes, shaking my head at my sister as if she could actually see me through my cell.
“Whatever, Jase. Listen, I’ll let you get back to Madeline. Will I see you this weekend at Mom and Dad’s?”
“Yep, Sunday dinner. Wouldn’t miss it.”
“See you then,” she says before hanging up her phone. I press End on my phone and open my awaiting laptop. Damn you, Auden. For making me ponder things that I really don’t want to think about. Things I’ve been happy to keep tucked away in my brain.
Somehow, two cappuccinos later, I’m able to finish chapter 13. I had to retype the name Madeline several times as my brain replaced it with Haddie. Why do I torture myself like this? She’s been with Tucker for six years and a simple case of pneumonia isn’t going to change that. I need to get a grip.
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It is no secret that I am addicted to Melissa Brown’s unique brand of positivity and 
Evan and I walk, hand in hand, as we visit with our guests. I am in awe of him as he greets each guest with a smile, a pat on the back or a warm hug. We’ve decided to keep it small—just those who matter to us the most. Giving Evan a kiss on the cheek, I say, “it’s time for me to get to work.” He shakes his head at me with a knowing smile. We hired a photographer for the event, but I can’t help myself. I want to take some on my own, with my Canon, that Evan and I can develop in our new darkroom. Evan helped me build the darkroom a few months after we moved into the apartment and has been an eager student ever since. He’s even developed a few rolls of film on his own without any help from me. And he did a pretty good job. I was really proud.
Melissa Brown is a hopeless romantic living in the Chicagoland area with her husband and their two children.
