I am so very excited to bring you an excerpt from the upcoming novel, The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery. I’m kicking off the TLC Book tour, and there will be a different excerpt on each of the blog stops along with a fabulous giveaway that you won’t want to miss!
Nicole Lord wants to be a good wife, but there’s a difference between being supportive and supporting her husband, who quit his job to write a screenplay she’s never seen. He won’t even help take care of their son, leaving Nicole to run the house and work full-time at her Mischief Bay Pilates studio. Can she say enough is enough without losing the man she loves?
Sacrificing a personal life for her career is how Shannon Rigg rose to become vice president in her firm, but she wonders now whether she made the right choice. An exciting new relationship with a great guy convinces her that it might not be too late—until he drops a bombshell that has her questioning whether she can have it all. And if she can, does she want it?
Although Pam Eiland has a beautiful house and a husband she adores, she feels… restless. She wonders who a stay-at-home mom becomes after the kids are grown. Finding sexy new ways to surprise her husband brings the heat and the humor back to their marriage, but when unexpected change turns her life upside down, she’ll have to redefine herself. Again.
Through romance and heartbreak, laughter and tears, three very different women will discover that friends can become family, and that life is richer with sisters at your side.
Purchase Links
And now, enjoy this excerpt from The Girls of Mischief Bay:
Chapter One
“Did Tyler make that for you?”
Nicole Lord turned to look at the picture she’d posted on the wall of Mischief in Motion, her Pilates studio. Three large red hearts covered a piece of pink construction paper. A handprint had been outlined over the hearts. The hearts were wobbly and highly stylized, but still recognizable. Not bad, considering the artist in question was not yet five. The handprint had been traced by one of his teachers.
“He did,” Nicole said with a smile. “I promised him I would bring it to work and show everyone.”
Her client, a thirtysomething fighting her way back from a forty-five-pound pregnancy weight gain, wiped sweat from her face and smiled. “He sounds adorable. I look forward to when my daughter can do more than eat, poop and keep me up all night.”
“It gets better,” Nicole promised.
“I hope so. I’d always assumed once I started having kids, I’d want six.” The woman grimaced. “Now one is looking like more than enough.” She waved and walked toward the exit. “See you next week.”
“Have a good weekend.”
Nicole spoke without looking, her attention already back on her computer. She had her noon class, then a three-hour break before her late afternoon classes. Which sounded nice until she thought about all she had to get done. Grocery shopping for sure—they were out of everything. Her car needed gas, there was dry cleaning to pick up and somewhere in the middle of all that, she should eat lunch.
She glanced at the clock, wondering if she should text Eric to remind him to pick up Tyler from day care at four. She reached for her phone, then shook her head and sagged back in her chair. No, she shouldn’t, she told herself. He’d only forgotten once and he’d felt awful about it. She had to trust him not to forget again.
Which she would, she told herself. Only these days he was forgetting a lot of things. And helping less around the house.
Marriage, she thought ruefully. It all sounded so romantic until you realized that hey, you not only had to live with someone else, but there would also be days when they actually thought you were wrong about things.
She was still trying to figure out in which order she was going to run her errands when the door to her studio opened and Pam Eiland strolled in.
“Hey, you,” Pam called cheerfully, an oversized tote hanging off one shoulder.
Anyone who didn’t know Pam would assume she had a clutter problem if she needed to haul around that much stuff in her bag. Those who did know Pam were privy to the fact that her actual handbag was fairly small and that most of the space in the tote was taken up by a soft blanket and a very weird-looking dog.
Right on cue, Lulu poked her head out of the tote and whined softly.
Nicole stood and approached them both. After giving Pam a hug, she reached for Lulu. The dog leaped into her arms and snuggled close.
“I see you’re in pink today,” she said, stroking Lulu’s cheek, then rubbing the top of her head.
“We both felt it was a pink kind of day,” Pam told her.
Lulu, a purebred Chinese crested, had white hair on the top of her head, by her ears and on her tail and lower legs. The rest of her spotted body was pretty much naked and an unexpected shade of grayish pink with brown spots. Her health issues were legendary and what with having no fur, she was chronically cold. Which meant Lulu had a collection of sweaters, jackets and T-shirts. Today’s selection was a lightweight, sleeveless pink sweater trimmed with shiny gray ribbon. With money tight and her own clothes threadbare, Nicole found herself in the embarrassing situation of envying a dog’s wardrobe.
Lulu gave her a quick puppy-kiss on the chin. Nicole held onto the warm dog for a few seconds more. Her relationship with Lulu was the least emotionally charged moment in her day thus far, and she was determined to enjoy it.
Pam, a pretty brunette with an easy smile, wore a loose short-sleeved dress over her leggings and workout tank. Unlike the other clients who came in for the noon class, Pam didn’t walk over from an office. Nicole knew the other woman had held a job at her husband’s company years ago. She understood how a small business worked and often gave Nicole sound advice. Aside from that, Pam seemed to have her days to herself. Right now that sounded like a dream come true.
“Who’s coming today?” Pam asked as she pulled the blanket out of the tote and folded it before setting it in a corner of the room. Lulu obligingly curled up, with her long legs tucked gracefully under her body. Nicole knew the dog wouldn’t budge until class was over. She supposed the sweet temperament and excellent manners made up for Lulu’s odd and faintly sci-fi appearance.
“Just you and Shannon,” Nicole said, clicking on her computer’s scheduling program to confirm. She was actually relieved to have a smaller class. Lately she was so damned tired all the time. Pam and Shannon could have run the workout themselves, so there wouldn’t be pressure to stay on top of every move.
Even better, all three dropouts had come in early that morning. The studio had a strict twenty-four-hour cancellation policy, which meant she was going to be paid for five students regardless. She accepted her momentary pleasure even though the thought made her a bad person, and vowed she would work on her character just as soon as she figured out how to fix what was going on with her marriage and got more than four hours of sleep on any given night.
Pam had slipped off her sandals in preparation for class. But instead of putting on her Pilates socks, she turned to Nicole and grinned.
“Want to go to lunch?”
Pam’s smile was infectious. Her hazel-green eyes crinkled at the corners and her mouth curved up.
Text Copyright © 2015 by Susan Macias Redmond
Permission to reproduce text granted by Harlequin Books S.A.
I can’t wait to see what happens next! Where do the women of Mischief Bay go from here? Leave a comment in the comments section at the bottom of the page and enter the Rafflecopter widget for a chance to win a wonderful prize pack.
The California Dreamin’ Prize Package is open to US/Canada residents and includes:
(Can’t see the Rafflecopter widget below? Click here to go directly to the Rafflecopter.com page for the giveaway)
Latest posts by Heather (see all)
- The Book of Thorns by Hester Fox - April 6, 2024
- The Happiness Blueprint by Ally Zetterberg - April 5, 2024
- Maya’s Laws of Love by Alina Khawaja - March 30, 2024
This book sounds like one I’d really like. Lately I’ve been reading more “adult” fiction and chick lit, and this sounds up my alley. I could also use a beach read, since it’s been so bloody cold up here lately.
Reply »
I’ve been reading mainly adult books too, Jillyn. I think we’re all sick of winter at this point. I know I’m ready for spring here in Chicago.
The Girls of Mischief Bay seems like it can at least help us imagine that we live at the beach. 🙂
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
Oh, are you from Chicago too?
Reply »
I work in Chicago, but live in the ‘burbs. You’re local too? Then you know how crappy or weather has been!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
I’m from the suburbs too. I got to make my escape down south for school a week ago, thankfully. It’s still Illinois, but a good 20 degrees warmer haha
Thank you, Heather and Jillyn. I hope you’ll enjoy your visit to California while reading THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY. 🙂 In the meantime, at least you don’t live in the northeast. Sounds like the blizzard bearing down on NYC is really going to be something!
Reply »
I’m sure we’ll enjoy the change of mental scenery, Susan! NYC is taking a beating, and here in Chicagoland, we have a nice layer of ice under the snow that’s falling now. Spring can’t come fast enough.
Wonderful excerpt, I can’t to dig in to this book!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
I’m not a winter girl either, Heather. When the leaves begin falling off the trees, the death of all hope. 😉 Hurry up, spring!
I am a big fan of Susan Mallery and the book sounds like it will be great and Right now the beach sounds great maybe a getaway even from just reading sounds great and this book sounds like a good one for that.
Reply »
I’m a Susan Mallery newbie, Crystal. Do you have a favorite book that you’d recommend reading after this new series?
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
The Fool’s Gold Series is my all time favorites. As you read the books it’s like you became a member of the community.
Reply »
Thank you so much, Crystal! I have the best, most enthusiastic and loyal readers in the world. I so appreciate you saying nice things about my books.
Reply »
I love Susan Mallery’s books and it sounds like a really great one!
Reply »
What’s your favorite book by Susan Mallery, Shanna? I’m sure that I’ll want to read deeper into her catalog when I’m finished with The Girls of Mischief Bay. What do you recommend?
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
I hope you’ll love THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY, Shanna. Be sure to follow along with the blog tour to read further in the book. A different giveaway every day!
Reply »
I think the girls will head out to the local Mexican restaurant and share a pitcher of margaritas 🙂
Reply »
Margaritas sounds great to me! Something nice and summery to enjoy with friends. Great choice, Sue!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
You’re not far off, Sue! 😉 Speaking of food, have you discovered the great Mischief Bay recipes at http://www.mischiefbay.com? I think I need to make the Chicken-Bacon Pesto Pizza again soon. That just sounds really good to me right now.
Reply »
maybe the characters
Reply »
The characters are already very interesting, just from the small peek we get from chapter 1.
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
I can relate to supporting a family and wondering if the struggles would be worth it. I can’t wait for the book to come out and long for others to follow.
Reply »
I can totally relate too, Tiffany! It will be interesting to see how these struggles play out in the book.
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
Oh, Nicole is fabulous! She’s working so hard, trying to be a good wife and mom, but she’s just stretched so thin that she doesn’t know how long she can go on this way. But what choice does she have? Her husband didn’t ask her how she felt about him quitting his job – he just did it, and told her afterward. They have a lot to work out!
Reply »
The girls go to the local pub for drinks, nachos and sliders.
Reply »
Now that sounds like my kind of lunch, Cindy!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
LOL! That’s very specific, Cindy. I love it! There are a lot of great businesses in Mischief Bay, all of which were named by my friends at http://www.facebook.com/susanmallery. It was a lot of fun to see what creative names my readers came up with!
Reply »
I can’t wait to read this book. I would love the win the Prize pack!!!!
Reply »
The California Dreamin’ Prize Pack is one of the best sets of prizes that I’ve seen. They’ve set the bar really high with this giveaway, don’t you think, Barbara?
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
Good luck, Barbara!
Reply »
🙂
Reply »
🙂
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
This looks like a great new series and I can’t wait to read it.
Monica R recently posted..Review: Before I Go by Colleen Oakley
Reply »
I totally agree, Monica!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
Thank you, Monica! So glad you’re eager to read THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY. Be sure to check out all the bonus content at http://www.mischiefbay.com
Reply »
I love reading Susan Mallery’s books and this new series sounds like another excellent addition to her published books. Susan writes her characters with such insight, they just jump off the page. Can’t wait for it to be released so everyone to visit Mischief Bay.
Reply »
I’m glad that you enjoy Susan Mallery’s books so much! I’m sure that this new series will be great!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
You’re always so sweet, Brenda. Thank you! I really appreciate your enthusiasm for me and for my books. (((HUGS)))
Reply »
I love the except from the Girls of Mischief bay. The three different characters are sounding exciting to read and immerse myself in.
Reply »
I can’t wait to get to know Nicole, Shannon, and Pam in The Girls of Mischief Bay too, Lola!
Heather recently posted..Excerpt Tour and Giveaway – The Girls of Mischief Bay by Susan Mallery
Reply »
Thank you, Lola. I really try to create genuine emotional connections between the characters and readers. I just got word from my agent that THE GIRLS OF MISCHIEF BAY got a great review from RT Book Reviews: “She breathes life into her three genuinely unforgettable stars and crucial co-stars…” So nice!!
Reply »
I’m interested in exploring a new town full of characters! Susan writes great female relationships, and I love that aspect of her books 🙂
Reply »
Thank you, Cheryl! I always say that I write relationship books, and friendships are a BIG part of that, in both my romance and my women’s fiction books. I can’t imagine life without my friends!
Reply »
I love Susan Mallery books. She is one of my favorite authors. I would love to win this prize package.
Reply »
Oh wow, thank you so much, Karen. That is so nice of you to say! Best of luck in the giveaway.
Reply »
Love to see where they may go next
Reply »
Can’t wait to read this!
Kelley Morrow recently posted..TV Tuesday with “The Dome”
Reply »
The characters sound intriguing. I look forward to learning more about them and Mischief Bay. (And who could resist a giveaway – Thanks!)
Reply »
I think these women all have unique parts about them, and it will be interesting to see where Mallery heads with the Mischief Bay series. Plus, it’s always fun to start a series at the beginning, when it begins! Thanks!
Reply »
What draws me is the fact that the book is about three different women’s lives, and what they go through together and alone. I would love to read it. Thanks for having the giveaway.
Reply »
The Girls of Mischief Bay just like so many of us can relate to them on some sort of level… Can’t wait to read their stories.. 😀
Reply »
I love all of Susan’s books. I am currently reading The Sparkling One.
Reply »