Lucky Charm by Mary Astor Book Excerpt Tour and Giveaway

Lucky Charm

by Marie Astor

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BLURB:

Twenty-eight-year old Annabel Green is about to tie the knot with her college love, an aspiring author Jeremy Blake, but her plans for an ideal wedding are rudely interrupted when she catches Jeremy kissing his gorgeous book agent.

Shell-shocked by Jeremy’s betrayal, Annabel retreats into the quiet routine of TV dinners and solitary evenings. It is then that Annabel’s best friend, fashion designer Lilly Clayton, sets herself on a mission to draw Annabel out of her shell. In an attempt to persuade Annabel to keep an open mind on dating, Lilly takes Annabel for a stunning makeover, but after Annabel passes on a date with a dashing entrepreneur, Lilly decides that more drastic measures are needed. Lilly invites Annabel to see a palm reader who gives Annabel a lucky charm that is supposed to help her find true love.

A few weeks later, Annabel meets a new love interest, and as the two embark on a whirlwind romance, she starts to believe in the power of the talisman the palm reader has given her. But what Annabel doesn’t know is that Lilly is hiding a secret that could unravel her faith in her newly found luck in love.

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Excerpt:

For several moments, Lilly and Simon were oblivious to everything around them, as Annabel stood back, embarrassed. She was happy for her friend, yet she could not help feeling out of place, secretly wishing that she too had someone who would be so glad to see her. She scanned the crowd in an effort to distract herself, but regretted her decision almost immediately. It seemed that everywhere she looked, there were couples hugging, snuggling, kissing. Annabel had never seen so many people kissing at the same time. Was there something in the air? Granted, Paris was a renowned destination for lovers, but this was surreal. Even the middle-aged, gray-haired couple she remembered from her flight were now smooching as though they were a couple of fifteen-year-olds. Even a saint would be jealous being alone in the middle of this love fest, and Annabel was far from being a saint. 

Suddenly, coming to Paris did not seem like such a good idea anymore. She had armed herself with maps and brochures to explore the city, but being alone in the sea of lovers was something that she was not prepared for. Breathe, Annabel thought, calm down. With nowhere else to look, she turned her gaze to the floor and began studying the pattern of the gray carpeting. 

“Ann! What are you doing over there? Come on!” Lilly urged her. “I’m so sorry we got carried away. This won’t happen again,” Lilly added in a guilty whisper.

“Don’t worry about me.” Annabel shrugged, hoping that her expression looked convincing enough. 

“Hello, Annabel. It’s so nice to see you again.” Simon smiled and leaned in to kiss her on both cheeks, true Frenchman that he was. “Let me get your bag,” he offered, and before Annabel could object, he grabbed both hers and Lilly’s suitcases as though they weighed nothing at all. “This way. My car is parked a little way off.”

The glass airport doors parted, and Annabel felt the gust of Parisian air on her face. Well, to be precise, she was not in Paris yet, since Charles de Gaulle airport was in the suburbs, fourteen miles away from Paris. This was a fact that she remembered from the numerous travel guides that she had perused in preparation for her trip. Still, as corny as it sounded, Annabel had to admit that even the air smelled different. For starters, there was none of the leaden humidity of New York’s summer heat. Instead, the air felt fresh and full of movement, but there was more to it than that. There was an indescribable, magical quality that transcended into the way people walked and talked, as though they were determined to appreciate every moment of their existence, even while performing the most mundane of tasks.

“Here we are.” Simon motioned at his black Mercedes in the parking lot. After loading the suitcases into the trunk, he opened the door for Annabel in the back and then for Lilly, up front.

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AUTHOR Bio and Links:

Marie Astor is the author of contemporary romance novels This Tangled Thing Called Love, Lucky Charm, On the Rim of Love, romantic suspense, To Catch a Bad Guy, and a short story collection,  A Dress in a Window. Marie is also the author of young adult fantasy adventure novel, Over the Mountain and Back.

If you would like to learn more about Marie’s writing, please stop by her website: www.marieastor.com or visit her on Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

Books by Marie Astor:

This Tangled Thing Called Love – a contemporary romance about overcoming one’s inhibitions, learning to tango, and finding one’s true love match.

http://www.amazon.com/This-Tangled-Thing-Called-ebook/dp/B0078IPNCW/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1337972977&sr=1-3

Lucky Charm – a humorous contemporary romance about love, luck and friendship.

http://www.amazon.com/Lucky-Charm-Contemporary-Romance-ebook/dp/B005BZL3L4/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1336842915&sr=8-1

On the Rim of Love – a contemporary romance about the unexpected power of love.

http://www.amazon.com/On-Rim-Love-Contemporary-ebook/dp/B005TOWI7K/ref=pd_sim_kstore_1?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

A Dress in a Window – a collection of short stories about love, coincidences, and fate.

http://www.amazon.com/A-Dress-Window-ebook/dp/B004E112TO/ref=pd_sim_kstore_3?ie=UTF8&m=AG56TWVU5XWC2

Over the Mountain and Back – young adult fantasy adventure novel about a boy who takes his snowboard for a ride and finds himself in a magical, hidden world he never knew existed.

http://www.amazon.com/Over-Mountain-Back-Adventure-ebook/dp/B008WF1Y78/ref=la_B004EBDX9Q_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1350684616&sr=1-6

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.marieastor.com/

Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/marieastorcollection

GoodReads: http://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4665230.Marie_Astor

Twitter: @marieastor

Marie will be awarding to five randomly drawn commenters at the end of the tour (US ONLY), one of the following five custom-designed jewelry prizes:

Prize 1: Smoky quartz necklace with sterling silver flower clasp

Prize 2: Lapis and labradorite necklace with sterling silver clasp

Prize 3: Kayanite and turquoise sterling silver necklace

Prize 4: Onyx and red agate sterling silver bracelet

Prize 5: Jade, amber and red agate necklace

Please leave a comment to enter this fantastic contest.  The tour dates can be found here:

http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/11/virtual-excerpt-tour-lucky-charm-by.html