Love Bytes is happy to welcome to their blog, author Anne Barwell who joins us today to share an exclusive excerpt of her new release “One Word”.
There is also a giveaway you can participate in!
Welcome Anne 🙂

Thanks for hosting me today as part of my blog tour for One Word, the 3^rd book in my Hidden Places series from Dreamspinner Press.

 

I’m sharing an exclusive excerpt with you today. Heidi, Donovan’s friend who co-owns the inn with him, tries to play matchmaker.  There’s also a hint of what past event Donovan is trying to put behind him.

 

“Do you want to find Ethan and see if he wants some lunch before you guys disappear into town this afternoon?”

 

“How did you know we’re both going into town?”

 

Heidi gave him a “duh” look. “It’s Wednesday, silly. You’ve been going into town every Wednesday afternoon for as long as Mrs. O’Neil has been coming around.” She sighed. “I don’t  know what your issue is with Brenda. She’s a lovely lady.”

 

“She asks a lot of questions I don’t want to answer,” Donovan said. Mrs. O’Neil was the village gossip. She knew everything about everyone, almost everyone, as Donovan still had secrets he didn’t want made common knowledge. “I trust you, Heidi, but I don’t trust her. If she finds out something, the whole village knows it within a couple of hours.”

 

“Your secrets are safe with me, like they’ve always been,” Heidi said softly. “I’ve noticed you’re getting nightmares again. Do you want to talk about it? And don’t worry; I have no intention of telling her about our financial problems.”

 

He wished he shared her optimism. The inn was in deep shit, and they both knew it, despite Heidi’s cheerful demeanor.

 

“I’m sorry I woke you. I know I can get loud when the nightmares are bad.” Donovan didn’t have to hide from Heidi. They’d known each other a long time, he’d met her around the same time he’d met Lee. The three of them had been inseparable at university, and she’d encouraged his relationship with Lee and been happy for both of them. Even so, he’d never told her exactly what had happened during his last tour of duty. He couldn’t face seeing her reaction when she found out.

 

“It’s okay, and if you change your mind and want to talk about them, you know where to find me,”Heidi said, although he hadn’t answered her question. “Oh, and Donovan?”

 

“Yeah?”

 

“Ethan’s a nice guy, don’t you think? Easy on the eyes too.”

 

“I’m not looking for a relationship, Heidi. We’ve had this conversation how many times now?” Donovan knew she meant well, but he was more than happy with his own company. He had friends, so it wasn’t as though he was totally alone. “I’m real happy for you and Doug, but just because you’ve found someone here, doesn’t mean I’m going to or want to.”

 

“It’s been a long time since Lee died. He wouldn’t want you to pine after a ghost.” Heidi put a hand on Donovan’s shoulder.

 

“I’m not pining, Heidi. I’ve moved on. I’ve told you that.”Not everything was about Lee. Donovan had had a lot of other shit in his life, although he had to admit that the night before was the first time he’d dreamed about Lee in years. “Don’t let Doug hear you say that Ethan’s hot. He might think he’s got some competition.”

 

Heidi laughed, then sobered. “I know you’ve moved on, but I’m not blind. I saw the way you were watching Ethan this morning over breakfast. I haven’t seen you look at a guy that way in years.”

 

“I’m not interested, Heidi!”Donovan protested. “Geez, I’m not dead. I’m allowed to admire the scenery. It doesn’t mean I want to”

 

“Yeah, I know. I also know that when you are interested in someone, you never risk finding out if it’s mutual either. Don’t worry. I”m not trying to hook you two up. Just get to know him while he”s here. It”s never a bad idea to make new friends, and I think with the way Ethan”s worried about Tomas, he could do with one too.”

Blurb:

A Hidden Places Story

Ethan Leavitt arrives in the idyllic village of Oakwood to search for a missing friend. Having always prided himself on his ability to find rational explanations, Ethan’s trust in concrete evidence and logic is tested by the mystery of Oakwood and Tomas’s disappearance.

 

Donovan Campbell’s happy, sometimes flippant, exterior hides a past he’d rather forget. As he struggles with his memories and to hold on to the inn he owns with his best friend, the last thing Donovan needs is for some guy he’s only just met to start getting under his skin. When a bank robbery escalates into a dangerous situation, Donovan must embrace a part of himself he can no longer ignore in order to save a future that might never have the chance to exist.

 

Ethan learns that often the person you’re looking for is not the one you find. But have he and Donovan both realized that too late?

 

Buy Links:

Dreamspinner Press

Amazon

 

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

 

You can find the list of sites taking part in the blog tour here:

https://annebarwell.wordpress.com/blog-hops/

 

Anne Barwell lives in Wellington, New Zealand. She shares her home with two cats who are convinced that the house is run to suit them; this is an ongoing “discussion,” and to date it appears as though the cats may be winning. In 2008 she completed her conjoint BA in English Literature and Music/Bachelor of Teaching. She has worked as a music teacher, a primary school teacher, and now works in a library. She is a member of the Upper Hutt Science Fiction Club and plays violin for Hutt Valley Orchestra. She is an avid reader across a wide range of genres and a watcher of far too many TV series and movies, although it can be argued that there is no such thing as “too many.” These, of course, are best enjoyed with a decent cup of tea and further the continuing argument that the concept of “spare time” is really just a myth. She also hosts other authors, reviews for the GLBTQ Historical Site Our Story and Top2Bottom Reviews, and writes monthly blog posts for Authors Speak and Love Bytes.

 

Anne’s books have received honorable mentions four times and reached the finals three times in the Rainbow Awards.  She has also been nominated twice in the Goodreads M/M Romance Reader’s Choice Awards, once for Best Fantasy and once for Best Historical.

 

Website & Blog: http://annebarwell.wordpress.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/anne.barwell.1

Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/sylvrebarwellhoffmann/

Google+: https://plus.google.com/u/0/115084832208481414034/posts

Instagram: https://instagram.com/anne.barwell

Twitter: https://twitter.com/annebarwell

Goodreads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4862410.Anne_Barwell

Dreamspinner Press Author Page:

https://www.dreamspinnerpress.com/authors/anne-barwell-65

DSP Publications Author Page:

https://www.dsppublications.com/authors/anne-barwell-49

Queeromance Ink Author Page:

https://www.queeromanceink.com/mbm-book-author/anne-barwell/

New Zealand Rainbow Romance Writers:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/491382394538058/