All of Me by Heatherly Bell ♥ Fun Facts, Book Tour & GIVEAWAY ♥ (Contemporary Romance)

What would you do for a second chance with your first love?

Welcome to wine country and the small town of Starlight Hill, California, where the wine flows freely and so does the gossip.

The town has never quite forgiven Ivey Lancaster for leaving their favorite son, Dr. Jeff Garner, when she met a man on an online dating site. But the real truth of her absence is something Ivey doesn't want anyone to know.

When a sudden change of plans forces Ivey to work with her hunky ex, she must keep it professional or risk her heart all over again.

Did you know that All of Me was originally an 80,000+ word novel titled Loving the Enemy? I am definitely long-winded. A kind editor told me that it could use some trimming.

Did you know that I once had a crush on my doctor, and his first name was Jeff?

Did you know that in the first version, Loving the Enemy, the secondary character of Frank was actually Jeff’s grandfather? When I re-wrote the book, I didn’t want to lose Frank.

Did you know I listened to a steady diet of James Taylor and Lionel Ritchie while writing this novel?

Did you know what I spent an hour interviewing a real life midwife in her office, called A Little Miracle?

Did you know that my grandfather, two uncles and two cousins are doctors? I interviewed my cousin about resident hours, and found out the hospital can’t work the residents to death any longer. New rule since about 2002. My cousin unfortunately did not benefit from the rule change, but he is still alive and breathing and practicing medicine!

Did you know that while writing All of Me I snacked on bags of dark chocolate covered acai berries from Trader Joe’s? Both the dark chocolate and acai berries are “healthy”. Let’s not talk about their calorie count.

Did you know that Ivey’s best friend Brooke was originally named Liza? As I got to know the character, I realized she wasn’t Liza, she was Brooke. Now, I don’t know how this happened, so I can’t explain.

Did you know that I wrote the first version of this novel with Candace Haven’s fast draft? Let’s just say it needed a lot of work.

Did you know Loving the Enemy was originally written as a “medical romance” and subbed to the Harlequin line on a fast track pitch request? I discovered medical romances are not my thing, but I was grateful for the experience.

Jeff sensed an opening and he proceeded to drive the proverbial Mac truck through it. “The best thing you and I can do is show everyone in town that we’re getting along. That we’re friends again.”

“Yeah. We better get the word out.”

He nodded. “Having dinner with me might help too.”

She whipped her head around so fast he worried about whiplash for a minute. “You and me? Not for real. That can’t happen. We’re not going there again.”

“Going where?” Yep, he was going to do this. Watch her walk right into his trap.

“Making love. Getting back together. Do I have spell it out for you?”

“Wow,” he said. “I’m flattered. But I was talking about dinner. You and your one-track mind.”

Suddenly, absolute quiet from the passenger seat. But as his luck would have it, not for long. “I caught you staring at my boobs. Don’t try to lie to me now.”

“I’m a man, Ivey, and right now you’re a wet-t-shirt-contest dream.”

“Don’t you dare stare at my boobs!”

He grinned. “Try and stop me.”

She turned to him, the light in her eyes that made him a goner. “We? Does that mean I’ve convinced you, Dr. Garner?”

He couldn’t help but grin. “Congratulations. I think we should make our recommendation that the board hire a staff of midwives and let them decide.”

She stared out the window. “I don’t know.”

When early onset stage fright dashed dreams of Rock and Roll Hall of Fame status, Heatherly Bell tackled her first book in 2010, and now the people and voices that occupy her head refuse to leave.

She no longer sings unless you count randomly bursting into song to annoy her children (and the dogs).

Heatherly lives in northern California with her family, including two beagles, one who can say ‘hello’ and the other who can feel a pea through several pillows.