Today I have the pleasure of being a host on THE SPIES AND PREJUDICE tour by Rockstar Book Tours. Talia Vance is a local author that has written a cute and sassy Jane Austin retelling that is a must read for this Summer. This book is perfect for relaxing by the pool, or at the beach when all you want to do is have a good chuckle and get lost in an entertaining read. So, please stick around and get to know Talia's favorite scene. Then enter the giveaway below and don't forget to hit the other stops on this tour.
TALIA'S FAVORITE SCENE
When I was asked to write a post about my favorite scene from Spies and Prejudice, I had a hard time picking. It’s kind of like being asked to select a favorite child or pet. And as a writer, I think I love scenes for different reasons than I would as a reader. Some scenes are special because they seemed to write themselves, others because they represent the moment when I really started to understand a character.
But for Spies and Prejudice, my favorite scenes are the scenes where Tanner and Berry are forced to set aside their initial prejudices and begin to connect with each other, even if doing so is completely against their better judgment.
This excerpt is a quiet moment in the story, with Berry and her friends gathering at her best friend’s house before heading off to a dance. It’s the first time that Berry really begins to soften towards Tanner, and it always makes me smile.
***
Since the front door is open, Tanner and Ryan walk into the house like they’ve been coming here all their lives. At least I think Ryan walks in. I only see Tanner.
He’s dressed in a dark suit and a crisp white shirt with a light blue tie that matches his eyes perfectly. The cut of his jacket emphasizes his broad shoulders and tapers down to a fitted waist. But it’s not the way he looks that takes my breath away. It’s the way he looks at me.
He stares across the room, past Mary Chris, past her parents, past Jason. His eyes burn into mine.
Jason elbows me in the side.
I elbow him back. “Stop.” But I’m smiling. I can’t stop smiling.
Tanner crosses the room and stands directly in front of me. “Wow.”
“You should see the shoes.” I lift the skirt up and stretch out my foot to reveal the gold strappy heels that match the gold threads perfectly. Pinched toes or not, they look pretty cute.
“I wasn’t talking about the dress.”
“Oh.” I watch Tanner watch me. My cheeks grow warm. “You look nice.”
Tanner pulls at the knot in his tie. “I think I’m being strangled.”
“It’s very James Bond.”
He smiles. “My mom would love that.” He catches himself, giving me a worried look.
“It’s okay.” People always think I’ll freak at the mere mention of someone’s mom. I can handle the fact that other people have mothers. It’s not like she’s all I think about. Still, I can’t help thinking that my mom would have liked seeing me in this dress too. She would’ve taken a million pictures and forced Tanner to pose with me in every one.
It’s my turn to catch myself. There is no alternate universe where my mother is alive. There is no alternate universe where Tanner is my date to the dance. Besides, I already have a date. With Drew.
Someone should clue in Mare’s mom, who herds us over for a picture on the staircase before I can move away.
“I’m sorry,” I whisper, as she urges Tanner to put his arm around me.
Tanner’s hand slips around my waist. “I’m not.”
I try to concentrate on Mrs. Moss’s stage directions. Bend my head to the left, smile bigger, drop my shoulder. But the truth is I’m barely aware of her or the rest of our audience. I’m barely aware of anything but the strong arm around my waist and the heat that pours from Tanner into me as he whispers in my ear.
“At least she didn’t assume I was with Jason.”
Did Tanner Halston make a joke? “Trust me. Jason would be a better date.”
Tanner’s lips brush the soft patch of skin just below my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “I doubt that.”
“That’s it.” Mrs. Moss looks at us expectantly.
Tanner’s hand still holds me to him. Neither one of us moves.
Jason holds up his cell phone and snaps a picture.
He gets a blackmail photo after all.
SPIES and PREJUDICE by TALIA VANCE
Fields’ Rule #1: Don’t fall for the enemy.
Berry Fields is not looking for a boyfriend. She’s busy trailing cheaters and liars in her job as a private investigator, collecting evidence of the affairs she’s sure all men commit. And thanks to a pepper spray incident during an eighth grade game of spin the bottle, the guys at her school are not exactly lining up to date her, either.
So when arrogant—and gorgeous—Tanner Halston rolls into town and calls her “nothing amazing,” it’s no loss for Berry. She’ll forget him in no time. She’s more concerned with the questions surfacing about her mother’s death.
But why does Tanner seem to pop up everywhere in her investigation, always getting in her way? Is he trying to stop her from discovering the truth, or protecting her from an unknown threat? And why can’t Berry remember to hate him when he looks into her eyes?
With a playful nod to Jane Austen, Spies and Prejudice will captivate readers as love and espionage collide.
Talia Vance is a practicing litigation attorney living in Northern California with her real life love interest, two-point-five kids, and a needy Saint Bernard named Huckleberry. Talia has been writing since she could talk, making up stories for every doll, stuffed animal and action figure she could get her hands on. She grew up hoping to write the great American novel, but her life ran more along the lines of tortured romance and fast paced thrillers, so that's what she writes.
Giveaway Details 5 winners total US only
3 winners will receive 1 Hardcover of Spies and Prejudice and a T-Shirt.
2 winners will receive a T-Shirt
***GIVEAWAY***
a Rafflecopter giveaway
Please don't forget to stop by the other hosts on this tour
Tour Schedule
