Good Advice!

Do you ever have moments when advice you heard growing up pops into your head? My mom’s  “Don’t sweat the small stuff” is a frequent one for me. Sometimes when I’m tired and debating whether I really need to floss my teeth before bed, my grandmother’s voice echoes in my head,   “You only need to floss the ones you want to keep.” Of course, then I floss. lol My son tells me that he still carries the “Good luck and have fun!” I said to him before every game he played. One he remembers from his teacher/coach is, “Suck it up, buttercup.” (It was said with a smile and the best of intentions. lol). My dad’s words inspired me to strive for a medical degree when one day he casually said, “Don’t settle. Be the one who interprets the tests.” I know it doesn’t seem like much, but it was an eye opener for me. One summer, when I was griping about having to wash rocks as part of my summer job, my dad said, “You never know where a job will lead you.” He was right! The next summer I was hired for a coveted job because of that experience on my resume. Sometimes it’s advice that’s fleeting, sometimes it’s advice that resounds like a mantra, but words from important people in our lives can be very impactful! I’d love to hear yours – drop them in the comments.

Perfectly Honest in the first book of the Perfectly Series, six stand-alone romantic comedies. When Mikaela meets Sam’s mom for the first time, she’s a bit taken aback by the advice she receives – and is trying to hide the fact that the engagement isn’t real.

Perfectly Honest

Medical Romantic Comedy

You never know where your words will take you…

When Mikaela Finn agreed to be Sam’s “fiancée” for a weekend, she probably should have told him that she’s a doctor. Sam O’Brien, aka “Dr. Eye Candy,” is trying to shed his playboy reputation and convince a small town hospital that he’s ready to settle down.  But when his “fiancée” helps deliver a baby in the middle of the meet and greet, it’s a bit of a shock. If he’d known the whole truth, he might have done things a little differently because somehow his “fiancée” ends up stealing his job and his heart. Not exactly the change he wanted.

Lies and deceit – it’s a match made in heaven!

Enjoy an excerpt from Perfectly Honest ~

your horoscope

ARIES (March 21-April 19)  Emotions will escalate and confusion will set in with regard to a partnership you thought you could count on.  Take time to absorb what’s happened.  You are sitting in a much better position than you realize.  Bide your time.

As they stirred their tea, Marla leaned forward with excited eyes.  “I want to know all the details.  What’s your sign?”

Mikaela blinked.  “My sign?”

“Yes.  You know, Sam is a Scorpio.  I hope you’re not a Virgo. All the Virgos are a little…zealous. Too much energy, if you ask me. And I don’t know that Pisces would be a good fit either. They tend to daydream the day away, don’t you think?  I think Sam needs someone a little more grounded. Taurus would be okay, but they do tend to be a bit stubborn and Leo, well I think a Leo would be a bit too boisterous, maybe a bit too bossy for Sam. I wouldn’t like to see another Scorpio. Could you imagine? That would be the worst kind of clash. Don’t you think? Now, last year, I would have said Sagittarius. It was a good year for Sagittarius. This year, I’m thinking a Libra or Aquarius would be good.  I could see that working. I’ve given this a lot of thought. I’ve told Sam. I told him he has to watch the sign, but I never know if he really listens.”

Mikaela’s head spun. “Ah, I’m an Aries,” she said hesitantly.

“Oh perfect.” Marla clapped her hands. “That’s a good match, especially this year. The moon cycle is perfect for an Aries-Scorpio match. I’ve always thought Aries was best at thinking things through before they do something irreversible. That will be the perfect balance to Sam’s Scorpio impulsiveness,” she announced confidently.

Mikaela almost burst out laughing. Yup, that was her all right. Thinking things through. Planning change. Avoiding the irreversible. Marla’s nailed it, she thought ruefully. Sam really should have paid more attention to the sign.

“What is your Chinese zodiac?”

“Pardon?”

“You know. Your heavenly stem, your earthly branch, your animal, your element?”

“I’m not really sure.”

“Hmmm. We’ll have to figure that out. Sam is a Tiger. At least he’s born a Tiger.  Personally, internally I think he’s a dragon. Truly there is a bit of ox and secretively, I suspect a little goat. But then I’m his mother.” She patted Mikaela’s hand. “So if you were a horse, dog or dragon, that would be wonderful. Oh dear, I do hope you’re not a monkey. That would not be good.”

“I’m pretty sure I’m not a monkey,” Mikaela assured her.

“That’s a relief. There are so many things to think about when you choose a mate. Are you a yin or yang?”

“Yin?” Mikaela guessed, hoping to make Marla happy.

“Perfect,” Marla beamed. “Sam’s a yang. The perfect match. You know Olivia and Ron are yang-yang, so I do worry. But they produced the most beautiful daughter.  Just goes to show there’s something good there somewhere.”

“And what is your favourite color?” Marla asked earnestly.

Seriously? She was engaged to her son and that’s what she thought was important? She was beginning to understand why Walt went for a swim. “Ah, aquamarine?”

“Oh, aquamarine,” Marla repeated, nodding her head.  “Now would that be more blue or more green?”

Mikaela just stared. “Blue?”

“Oh lovely. I love blue, too.”

“That’s important to finding someone compatible?” Mikaela asked skeptically.

Marla laughed. “No, now that would be silly, dear. No, I just asked because I enjoy quilting in my spare time, and I’ve decided to make a quilt for each of the kids as a wedding present. So yours shall be blue. And I’ll get started on that right away.” She leaned forward. “Have you picked a date for the wedding?”

Buy link (free with KU):  https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08V9CWRMK