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Unfortunately, Jackson is also the most gorgeous specimen of manhood I’ve ever laid eyes on. One look at him and I want to jump and climb him like a tree. But whenever he opens his mouth, his status as the biggest bastard on the planet is immediately reinstated. It’s impossible for the man to say anything remotely nice – at least not to me. To my best friend, though? To her, he’s Mr. Perfect Gentleman. Did I mention he’s carrying a torch for my engaged best friend?
My libido does not give one flying hoot Jackson is a dick who has a crush on my bestie. Nope. Not at all. No matter how much of a schmuck the man is – and trust me he takes schmuck to the next level – I continue to pant after him like a nerdy freshman crushing on the prom king. If I want to keep my sanity, I’m going to have to keep Jackson at arm’s length.
Sanity is totally overrated.
At Arm’s Length is book 2 of the Love in the Suburbs series but can be read as a standalone.
Meet Jackson & Shelby from At Arm's Length
If you had a free day with no responsibilities and your only mission was to enjoy yourself, what would you do?
Shelby: Is this an ideal world? Like one in which anything can happen? In that case, I want to cuddle on the sofa with my ideal man (who does not hate me) while binge watching Dr. Who.
Jackson: I’m an adrenaline junkie, so anything that gets my blood pumping is a-okay with me. Base jumping, bungee jumping, whitewater rafting? You name it. I’m in.
If you could spend the day with someone you admire (living or dead or imaginary), who would you pick?
Shelby: Dr. Who, of course. I have so many questions for the Doctor. Starting with – when do I get a ride in TARDIS?
Jackson: Warren Buffett. What entrepreneur doesn’t want to meet the most successful investor in the world?
What is your idea of perfect happiness? And, what is your current state of mind?
Shelby: Perfect happiness? Hmm… Having a good and challenging job that’s fun, too, while also having a great social life with good friends. I think that sums happiness up. My current state of mind? I haven’t reached perfect happiness yet. Not when the man I’m obsessing over is obsessing over my best friend. Can you say disaster?
Jackson: I’m not sure perfect happiness exists. If it does, I suppose it’s life where there’s no need to forgive anyone as they wouldn’t have done anything to need forgiveness for. Current state of mind? Not perfect happiness, I can tell you that much.
What do you consider to be the most overrated virtue and why?
Shelby: Patience. If I hear patience is a virtue one more time … I don’t understand the need for patience. Can’t I just force things to happen at a faster pace? Can’t everyone just work quicker or something?
Jackson: Forgiveness. I don’t understand forgiving someone for something they’ve done wrong without receiving something in return. Some people just don’t deserve to be forgiven.
Tell us 3 things about yourself that the readers do not know about.
Shelby:
1. I secretly like frou frou drinks. Just don’t tell my bestie, Frankie. I’ll never hear the end of it.
2. I buy my jeans from the juniors department. Yes, I’m in my early thirties, but do you know how hard it is to find clothes for someone who’s five-foot-nothing and weighs less than 100 pounds?
3. I’m jealous of my best friend. I know, I know. It makes me a horrible person. But she has it all – a great business, good looks, smarts, and is engaged to the perfect man. Of course, I’m jealous.
Jackson:
1. That person who I’m supposed to hate. You know, the one I’m a jerk to. I don’t really hate her.
2. I’m scared out of my mind to start a new business. I know I’m the one pushing things. Nonetheless, I’m terrified of failing.
3. That girl who broke my heart. The one who I was supposed to marry. I should probably send her a thank you card.
Read an Excerpt from At Arm's Length
“Woman, can we have one dinner when we don’t have to deal with your infernal matchmaking,” Frankie’s grandpa growls.
My eyebrows raise of their own accord at his grumbling. Bill is usually a mild-mannered dude, but I guess even the mild-mannered have their limits.
“You’re ruining my fun,” Grandma pouts. Seriously, pouts. She sticks out her bottom lip and flutters her eyelashes at him.
“You can flutter your eyelashes until the cows come home. I stopped falling for that bologna approximately three decades ago.”
“Cuddle-pumpkin, you didn’t have a problem with my eyelash fluttering the other night.”
He grunts. “You were offering something I wanted.”
“Oh my god, are you talking about sex?” Frankie shrieks. “Stop!” She slams her eyes shut and covers her ears. “La la la. My grandparents do not have sex. Nope. Nope. Nope.”
“I’m surprised she didn’t hear us when she lived here. Guess it was a good thing she had those pain pills to put her to sleep,” Grandma remarks.
I choke on the piece of lamb I’m chewing on. Jackson pats my back as he bursts out laughing. “I thought there was nothing that could phase you, babe.”
I take a sip of water. “Oh, I’m not phased.” I smirk when I see Frankie take her fingers out of her ears. “I’m perfectly okay with Grandma and Bill having loud sex.”
Frankie screams and jumps to her feet. “I’m…” She looks around as if the walls will offer her some type of excuse. They don’t. She throws her arms in the air and stomps out of the room.
Bailey watches her leave before turning to me with a grin on her face. “You were right. Sunday meals at Frankie’s grandma’s house are the best.”
About the Author:
I grew up reading everything I could get my grubby hands on, from my mom's Harlequin romances, to Nancy Drew, to Little Women. When I wasn't flipping pages in a library book, I was penning horrendous poems, writing songs no one should ever sing, or drafting stories which have thankfully been destroyed. College and a stint in the U.S. Army came along, robbing me of free time to write and read, although on the odd occasion I did manage to sneak a book into my rucksack between rolled up socks, MRIs, t-shirts, and cold weather gear. After surviving the army experience, I went back to school and got my law degree. I jumped ship and joined the hubby in the Netherlands before the graduation ceremony could even begin. A few years into my legal career, I was exhausted, fed up, and just plain done. I quit my job and sat down to write a manuscript, which I promptly hid in the attic before returning to the law. But practicing law really wasn’t my thing, so I quit (again!) and went off to Germany to start a B&B. Turns out running a B&B wasn’t my thing either. I polished off that manuscript languishing in the attic before following the husband to Istanbul where I decided to give the whole writer-thing a go. But ten years was too many to stay away from my adopted home. I packed up again and moved to The Hague where, in between tennis matches and failing to save the world, I’m currently working on my next book. I hope I’ll always be working on my next book.
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Thank you for interviewing me. It was loads of fun 😊
ReplyDeleteI loved the interview with Shelby and Jackson. Thanks for the chance to get to know them better.
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