Hometown Girl at Heart
Hometown Series Book 1
by Kirsten Fullmer
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Contemporary Romance
Tara has always been too engrossed in her work - refurbishing the
historical homes in Smithville. She keeps a tight rein on her jobs
and her emotions buried, but she’s losing control of both since
that ridiculous city boy investor showed up.
historical homes in Smithville. She keeps a tight rein on her jobs
and her emotions buried, but she’s losing control of both since
that ridiculous city boy investor showed up.
New in town, Justin is confident that his ultra modern resorts will bring
Smithville into the twenty-first century. If only the local-yokels
and their ringleader, the gorgeous and peculiar Tara, would stop interfering.
Smithville into the twenty-first century. If only the local-yokels
and their ringleader, the gorgeous and peculiar Tara, would stop interfering.
With her quirky and protective hometown behind her, will Tara confront
Justin and the town’s long buried secrets to take on the financial
and emotional risk of a lifetime?
Justin and the town’s long buried secrets to take on the financial
and emotional risk of a lifetime?
Hometown Girl After All
Hometown Series Book 2
Julia lost everything while she was ill. Self-conscious and alone, she’s
moved to Smithville, determined to hide away in her rundown Victorian
house. Little does she know, she can’t hide anything in a small
town, including her interest in the deliveryman.
moved to Smithville, determined to hide away in her rundown Victorian
house. Little does she know, she can’t hide anything in a small
town, including her interest in the deliveryman.
Resolved to keep his life simple, Chad has his hands full running his delivery
business and supporting his adopted family. So why can’t he get
that withdrawn city girl, Julia, off his mind?
business and supporting his adopted family. So why can’t he get
that withdrawn city girl, Julia, off his mind?
Will the eccentric but well-meaning Smithville folk push Julia and Chad to
open up, or will the emotional toll drive them both back into
seclusion?
open up, or will the emotional toll drive them both back into
seclusion?
Hometown Girl Forever
Hometown Series Book 3
Lizzie gave up her stressful job in Boston to embrace her love of all things
country in Smithville PA. Her farm, a new job at the spa, and her pet
alpacas are a dream come true, if only her meddling, matchmaking,
socialite mother would back off.
country in Smithville PA. Her farm, a new job at the spa, and her pet
alpacas are a dream come true, if only her meddling, matchmaking,
socialite mother would back off.
Elliot, a successful architect from Washington, DC, designed the new spa, but
he certainly hadn't envisioned the exotic bohemian style manager or
her intriguing, demanding mother. Small town antics and his interest
in Lizzie extend his visit to Smithville, but will the allure of
country life draw him in for good?
he certainly hadn't envisioned the exotic bohemian style manager or
her intriguing, demanding mother. Small town antics and his interest
in Lizzie extend his visit to Smithville, but will the allure of
country life draw him in for good?
Once again, Smithville’s folk interfere with plans at every turn,
forcing Lizzie and Elliot to face their personal dilemmas and each
other, head on.
forcing Lizzie and Elliot to face their personal dilemmas and each
other, head on.
Christmas in Smithville
The Hometown Series Book 4
Even though Gloria is determined to change her reputation, most of the
women in town still think she’s a tramp. Sure, she may have dressed
a little flashy and dated pretty much every single guy in town, but
that’s the past. Now that she wants to make a fresh start, will
Smithville give her a second chance?
women in town still think she’s a tramp. Sure, she may have dressed
a little flashy and dated pretty much every single guy in town, but
that’s the past. Now that she wants to make a fresh start, will
Smithville give her a second chance?
Ned has heard all the gossip, but being the Sheriff’s Deputy, he sees
all the kind things Gloria does behind the scenes for the folks of
Smithville. It looks like the upcoming Christmas Pageant will offer
him the opportunity to spend time with her, but can he overcome a
frustrating stutter and talk to her, face to face?
all the kind things Gloria does behind the scenes for the folks of
Smithville. It looks like the upcoming Christmas Pageant will offer
him the opportunity to spend time with her, but can he overcome a
frustrating stutter and talk to her, face to face?
Your favorite characters from the Hometown Series bring craziness, love,
and Smithville Christmas style, to a whole new romance about
overcoming your past and sharing your deepest secrets. Fall in love
and be swept away with the Christmas Eve celebration of your dreams.
and Smithville Christmas style, to a whole new romance about
overcoming your past and sharing your deepest secrets. Fall in love
and be swept away with the Christmas Eve celebration of your dreams.
“Then I just had
to wr—wrap the baby up and hand her to her mother,” Ned said as he dropped his
paint roller in the bucket of hot water.
Gloria
stared at him, her eyes wide in fascination. “I can’t believe you delivered a
baby by the side of the road. I don’t think I could have—”
“Sure
you could,” he said with a shrug. “When the time comes and work needs doing,
folks like us st—step up.”
Unsure,
she scoffed. “Well, baking a casserole is one thing, but…”
Ned
reached out to take her paint roller. “Yeah, okay, the baby was kind of a big deal,” he conceded,
“Usually, I just end up learning w—way more about people than I want to know.”
“I
understand that.” Gloria nodded. “Given my past, I know—” She stopped,
realizing what she was saying. “Of course, I’ve forgotten all about those
guys...” She faltered, her words fading away and her cheeks burning red under
her freckles.
Ned’s
laughter rang out into the workshop. “Oh, I’m sure you don’t know which guys in
town burp at the table, who is connected at the hip to their momma, or who
snores—” The words chopped off and it was his turn to blush. “I… I d—didn’t
mean… I—I w—wasn’t…” His stutter always got much worse when he was upset.
Frustrated, he stopped talking and turned back to the water bucket.
“Don’t
be embarrassed,” Gloria said, feeling bad for him. “It’s true though,
especially with your job. What do you do when you meet someone on the street,
and you know intimate details about their personal life?” She waited, but he
just pumped the paint rollers up and down in the water, so she tried again.
“I’m asking for advice, honest. Do they train you on this stuff at the police
academy?”
He
shrugged, then straightened and shoved one hand in the front pocket of his
jeans. “Well we have to t—take ethics classes, but…” he looked up, making eye
contact, “no, they don’t tell you that stuff. You just h—have to act like you
weren’t at their house two n—nights ago with the fire chief, helping them get
their hand unstuck from the k—kitchen drain they were trying to fix.”
Her
eyes widened, and she chuckled in surprise. “Who? No, no don’t tell me.”
He
shook his head; his hand raised to stop her. “I wouldn’t,” he said, but his
eyes were bright with humor. “It’s a th—thing you have to learn to do I guess.
I know you’re g—good at it, I’ve seen
you in action.”
She
shrugged modestly. “Oh, well, I just try to put myself in their place.”
They
were both quiet for a minute, contemplating all the dirt they’d collectively
compiled on the people of Smithville.
“Yeah,
” she continued with a sparkle in her eye. “Because if I were a great big guy,
I wouldn’t want everyone to know that I scream like a little girl when I see a
spider.”
Ned’s
eyebrows rose, and a big grin spread across his face. “Now I have to wonder…”
“It
will go with me to the grave,” she assured him, looking solemn. But she
couldn’t help it and broke into laughter. “Oh my gosh, it was the funniest thing.
I thought he was going to run away, but he kept screaming for me to ‘get it’.
Of course, I was far too busy laughing and taking video.”
He
chuckled, enjoying the way her eyes shone when she was happy. Her laughter was
like music, and her cheeks turned rosy with happiness. His own heart swelled,
catching him off guard. “You’re a mean one, aren’t you,” he teased.
“Me?”
she asked, with her hand on her chest. “No, no, I finally took pity on him and
smashed the bug.”
“Well
that’s good,” he said, wishing he could make her laugh like that all the time.
“Anyway…”
she trailed off, “I better get moving. I have a ton of sewing to do.”
“I
wish I could help you with th—that,” he said, collecting the butcher paper he’d
spread for them to paint. “But I have no idea how to even thread a needle.”
Her
head tilted to one side. “I doubt that.”
“Okay,
okay,” he relented, crumpling the paper to stuff it in the trashcan. “I can
thread a n—needle, but choir robes and sh—shepherd costumes are way beyond my
scope.”
She
waved him off. “Oh, these are pretty simple. I figure they’re for one night and
no one will really see them up close.”
“True.”
“Except…”
He
waited for her to continue, watching her think, wishing he could hear what was
on her mind.
“Well,
it’s just…” She chuckled. “Practically
every family in town has someone in this thing, so I guess in reality, everyone
will see them up close.”
“Right?”
he laughed. “I wonder sometimes, who is going to watch this thing.”
“Me
too!” she agreed. “We may need to set up a bus service to bring folks from
Uniontown.”
He
rubbed his chin. “Not a bad idea.”
She
chuckled, reveling in the shared moment, then turned away, looking for her
purse. “Well, I’d better get going.”
“Thanks
for the help,” he said, wishing he knew how to make her stay. “ Do you have to
go?”
The
question froze Gloria in her tracks. Normally at this point, if a gorgeous man
was being funny and sweet and she liked him, she’d stay and talk. And not only
that, she amended, she’d sign up for more. But things were different now. She
was different. She wasn’t doing any of this to get a man, and, truth be told,
she wouldn’t know what to do with one at this point anyway. She wanted to prove
to the women in town she didn’t need to flirt, and that she could do a job and
do it well, without attracting male attention.
She frowned. That wasn’t going so well evidently. Was she attracted to Ned?
Turning
back toward the shop, she regarded him carefully. He had a swipe of red paint across one cheek,
but that only made him more approachable.
The man was a knock out no matter how you looked at him. The paint spear
made him cute. Shocked by her appraisal, her eyebrows lifted. When was the last
time she’d thought a grown man was cute? Especially one with a physique like
the deputy.
He
grew uncomfortable under her stare, and she realized she was being rude. “I
really do have to go,” her words said, but the rest of her said, “I want to
stay.” He was easy to talk to and friendly. He didn’t judge her. He was nice.
It came to her then; she had a friend in Ned. They had some things in common,
and they could have a laugh together. Given her situation, a friend was
something she needed. Gaging her words carefully, she hoped she could make him
understand how much she appreciated him. “I really do have to go, but this has
been… this has been great.”
He
looked so disappointed that she nearly relented, but she knew it was for the
best. This pageant was not the time or place to be looking for a new boyfriend.
And she was sure she didn’t want to ruin the budding friendship they’d forged.
This was new territory, and she had to move carefully and use her head.
“I
have to go.” She turned toward the
door, then, with her hand on the door handle, she stopped and looked over her
shoulder. “But I’ll see you tomorrow night at practice, right?”
For
a minute she thought he wasn’t going to respond, but finally he nodded, and an
easy grin lit his face. “Sure.”
All
she could manage was a quick nod, and then she ducked out the door before she
could change her mind.
Kirsten grew up in the Western US and graduated from high school in
1984. She married soon there after and quickly built a family.
With three young children and number four on the way, she returned to
college in 1992. Her career as a draftsman included many settings
ranging from a steel fabrication shops to prestigious engineering
firms. Balancing family life with the workplace forced her to
become the queen of multitasking. In 2001, bored with the cubical
life, she moved on to teach drafting in technical college, then to
opening her own consulting firm teaching 3D engineering software. Due
to health problems, Kirsten retired in 2012 to travel with her
husband for his job. She now works writing romance novels and enjoys
spoiling her three grandchildren. Since 2017 Kirsten has lived and
worked full time in a 40' travel trailer with her husband and her
little dog Bingo.
1984. She married soon there after and quickly built a family.
With three young children and number four on the way, she returned to
college in 1992. Her career as a draftsman included many settings
ranging from a steel fabrication shops to prestigious engineering
firms. Balancing family life with the workplace forced her to
become the queen of multitasking. In 2001, bored with the cubical
life, she moved on to teach drafting in technical college, then to
opening her own consulting firm teaching 3D engineering software. Due
to health problems, Kirsten retired in 2012 to travel with her
husband for his job. She now works writing romance novels and enjoys
spoiling her three grandchildren. Since 2017 Kirsten has lived and
worked full time in a 40' travel trailer with her husband and her
little dog Bingo.
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I enjoyed getting to know your book and thanks for the chance to win :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good read.
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