Yay, today is release day for my adorable meet cute box set!! *throws confetti* Yay for Adrian and Manne, Jacke and David, and Måns and Viggo. Yay for aiding a panicked stranger in the library, offering an umbrella to a cute man and a spoiled dog, or getting lost in the forest! Yay for finding that special someone when the stars are aligned in your favor.
Three accidental meetings. Three cases of instant attraction. Three HEAs.
What do onedyslexic man overwhelmed by too many books, one man walking a dog getting caught in the rain without an umbrella, and one man lost in the woods have in common? Nothing, except unexpectedly meeting the man of their dreams…
Contains the stories:
They Met in the Library: Adrian, librarian at a small community library loves his job and helping people. When a huge man walks in looking terrified, Adrian’s skills are tested. Manne’s dyslexic and past events have made him fear books. With Adrian’s help, the experience turns positive. Their chemistry is instant. But can someone who has trouble reading ever fit into the life of a man whose passion is the written word?
They Met in the Park: Jacke can’t take his eyes off the adorable man walking a spoiled dog in the park every day after work. One day, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to him. David. The attraction is mutual and instant, and a second meeting in the park turns into a date. Jacke starts longing for something he thought he’d never have; a partner. Does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
They Met in the Woods: Måns had a plan to navigate through an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didn’t get the memo, died unexpectedly, leaving him lost…until he hears someone chopping wood. He follows the sound and finds Viggo, who’s kind, helpful, and smoking hot. Their connection is instant; will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
Do you remember the three They Met in the…books? Do you also know that my publisher likes box sets? Do you know where I’m going with this? 😊
If you just exclaimed Meet Cute Chronicles Box Set, Nell! you’re absolutely correct! 😊
My publisher JMS Books put all three books together in one fabulous – I mean, look at that cover, isn’t it adorbs? – package and will release it on August 7. And do you know what’s even better? JMS Books holds sale this weekend to celebrate being in business for 11 years, and they offer 40% off all e-books – including pre-orders – thru Sunday.
So if you want to pre-order the Meet Cute Chronicles Box Set, now’s definitely the time, because it’s only $2.99! What? you say. Less than three bucks for three books in one cute package? Yes, my friends, you read that right.
So hurry to clickety-click the button below to pre-order the box.
And if you’re new here and have never heard about the Meet Cute Chronicles, here’s the blurb:
Three accidental meetings. Three cases of instant attraction. Three HEAs.
What do onedyslexic man overwhelmed by too many books, one man walking a dog getting caught in the rain without an umbrella, and one man lost in the woods have in common? Nothing, except unexpectedly meeting the man of their dreams…
Contains the stories:
They Met in the Library: Adrian, librarian at a small community library loves his job and helping people. When a huge man walks in looking terrified, Adrian’s skills are tested. Manne’s dyslexic and past events have made him fear books. With Adrian’s help, the experience turns positive. Their chemistry is instant. But can someone who has trouble reading ever fit into the life of a man whose passion is the written word?
They Met in the Park: Jacke can’t take his eyes off the adorable man walking a spoiled dog in the park every day after work. One day, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to him. David. The attraction is mutual and instant, and a second meeting in the park turns into a date. Jacke starts longing for something he thought he’d never have; a partner. Does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
They Met in the Woods: Måns had a plan to navigate through an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didn’t get the memo, died unexpectedly, leaving him lost…until he hears someone chopping wood. He follows the sound and finds Viggo, who’s kind, helpful, and smoking hot. Their connection is instant; will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
Today is International Tea Day! There are some weird “holidays” floating around, but a day celebrating tea? I can get behind that!
Here on the blog, I’m celebrating with tea (duh!) and books where tea features prominently. Let’s start off by pouring a cup of our favorite tea. Here’s mine.
My favorite tea: matcha genmaicha. Look at that color! 😍
Many of my characters drink tea, because I’m a tea lover and I project that onto my MCs. But no one but Viggo in They Met in the Woods makes their own tea. No wonder Måns falls for him, right? I would, too, if I lived in that world 😁
Måns Elemander had A Plan. A researched and well-thought-out one, devised to help him avoid getting lost while foraging for mushrooms in an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didn’t get the memo, died unexpectedly, and thwarted The Plan, leaving Måns with a basket full of mushrooms, but no idea where to go. Until the sounds of someone chopping wood reaches him.
Måns follows the sound and finds a quaint cabin…and its owner, Viggo Moberg. Viggo is kind, understanding of the situation, and willing to help. He’s also smoking hot and their connection is instant, threatening to ignite and burn down the woods. Will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
But wait. I know I write pretty short books, so if you still want more after finishing They Met in the Woods, if you’re in the mood for a really long and cozy tea-drinking and tea-reading session, I’ve got you covered. Here are three more books featuring tea.
Amy Tasukada’s Blood Stained Tea isn’t a romance, unless you count the relationship between Nao and his tea. But if you’re in the mood for a bloody thriller about crazy, murderous yakuza and excellent tea descriptions, Blood Stained Tea is just the book for you.
Tattoos & Teacups by Anna Martin: if you’re in the mood for opposites attract, age gap, and a charming relationship-focused book. I haven’t read it in years, but I remember loving it. Maybe today is the perfect day for a re-read?
Taking Stock by A.L. Lester might not have the word “tea” in the title, but it’s full of the stuff. It’s a book set in Britain, written by a British author after all, so tea is expected. And it’s there, in every little aspect of daily life, and as a tea lover myself, this is something I really appreciate. But it’s the quiet, lovely romance between the two men that’s the real star of this book, despite all the tea goodness.
Nao took the cup and let the tea warm his hands. The astringent oolong filled his nose with an undertone of plum from that particular blend. Tea always calmed him, and he was more thankful than ever that Father had called for it. Nao pressed the cup to his lips and drank. Bitter, probably from too many leaves stuffed into a tiny infuser.
After making tea in my only, beautiful teapot and finding proper teacups and saucers to drink it from, I loaded up a tray with the tea-making paraphernalia and some proper Scottish shortbread and joined Chris under the duvet that he’d brought through to the sofa.
Laurie was thin under the soft cotton. They stood for a while, doing nothing but breathing and looking out the window. Gradually, Laurie relaxed and as he did, he swayed back, just a little, until some of his weight was resting on Phil. It felt nice, to take the weight for someone else.
Eventually, Laurie dashed his good hand over his face. Wiping his eyes, Phil thought. “Tea’s getting cold,” Laurie said.
Today is Take a Walk in the Park Day, when we are encouraged to stretch our legs at our favorite trail or neighborhood park. That’s an excellent suggestion, especially if the sun is out in your corner of the world like it is in mine. This optimistic internet page says it’s the perfect opportunity to maybe compose an original poem. No pressure or anything, just go out for a walk and write a poem. Right. 😀
If you’re not a poet, maybe you can do what Jacke in They Met in the Park does. He’s found a remote corner in his neighborhood park where he likes to decompress and breathe for a few moments after work. And if you, also like Jacke, spot someone who’s cute, maybe take a chance and talk to them today (at a covid-safe distance ofc)? If it’s raining in your part of the world, you can offer to lend them your umbrella or just take a slow stroll and soak in the atmosphere 🙂
And should the urge to write a poem strike you, go for it 😀
Can a spoiled little dog bring two strangers together?
The first time Jacke sees him, it’s a happy accident. He’s taken refuge in a quiet corner of the park, decompressing after a difficult day at work, when the man, dressed in a fancy suit, passes by him walking a spoiled little dog.
As the days pass, Jacke notices the adorable pair several times. He’s unable to take his eyes off the man whose first priority is the dog, even over his own comfort. And one day, when circumstances are right, Jacke takes a chance and speaks to the man. David.
David’s personality is as adorable as his outward appearance, and a short walk in the rain results in mutual attraction and a promise to see each other again. A second meeting in the park turns into a date, and Jacke starts longing for something he thought he’d never have; a partner. But does David feel the same? Will a chance meeting in the park turn into love?
Wohoo, it’s release day for the third and final Meet Cute Chronicles story: They Met in the Woods. They Met in the Woods opens with Måns being lost in the forest. He’s spent the morning foraging for mushrooms and when we meet him, he’s got a basketful of yummy chanterelles and he’s ready to head back home and prepare a chanterelle toast for a late, decadent lunch. Unfortunately, he’s wandered wherever the mushrooms have taken him and is lost. And his phone battery is dead, so he can’t use the map app he’s downloaded just for the occasion. But then he hears the sound of someone chopping wood…🌲🍁🍄🌳🪓👨❤️👨
Måns Elemander had A Plan. A researched and well-thought-out one, devised to help him avoid getting lost while foraging for mushrooms in an unfamiliar forest. But his cell phone battery didn’t get the memo, died unexpectedly, and thwarted The Plan, leaving Måns with a basket full of mushrooms, but no idea where to go. Until the sounds of someone chopping wood reaches him.
Måns follows the sound and finds a quaint cabin…and its owner, Viggo Moberg. Viggo is kind, understanding of the situation, and willing to help. He’s also smoking hot and their connection is instant, threatening to ignite and burn down the woods. Will the sparks burn fast and fizzle out, or will the attraction grow roots, just like the trees in the forest?
The battery is dead. Completely and utterly d-e-a-d, and I glare at my phone, shaking it a little as if that would help. But no. It stays black, not a single pixel lighting up.
Scowl deepening, I shove the blasted thing into my pocket so I won’t accidentally throw it into the nearest tree. Even if it would be satisfying to see it shatter against a wide, rough tree trunk, it wouldn’t help my situation, and if a kind stranger happened to walk by with a power bank they agreed to lend me, it’d be very unfortunate if the phone was lying smashed in a million pieces.
With a big, dramatic huff, I plop my ass down where I stand, the low blueberry bushes cushioning my behind. I cross my legs at the ankles, rest my elbows on my knees and hang my head, letting out a long groooooaaaaaan that’s bound to scare off any moose set on investigating who’s being so noisy in their territory.
I had a plan. Well thought out, meticulously thought out. I filled my backpack with a vacuum flask of coffee, a tall stack of open-faced fried-egg sandwiches—the superior food to eat on outdoorsy activities—my mushroom book, brought the huge basket I bought second hand, and drove to a nearby forest I’d learned online is the prime mushroom picking spot. And since I only moved to the area a couple months ago and don’t know my way around, I made sure my phone was fully charged and marked the spot where I parked in the map app before heading out so I would be able to find my way back.
What I didn’t take into consideration was that the new app I downloaded—excellent for hikers according to the app store—apparently drains the battery faster than if it was a human taking their first drink of water after being lost in the desert for a week. It doesn’t help that my phone is getting up there in age, at least as far as cell phones go.
It also hasn’t helped that it’s been a gorgeous fall morning; rays of sun filtering through the vegetation and keeping me company, the air crisp and clear, and the mushrooms plentiful. All that took me further and further into the forest until I have no idea from where I came.
Only when my basket was overflowing with mushrooms—the internet wasn’t lying when it suggested this spot for foraging—and my stomach was starting to demand attention since I finished my egg sandwiches hours ago, I decided to go back to the car, drive home and make chanterelle toast for a late lunch.
Too bad I can’t wake up my freaking phone and find my way out of here.
What do I do now?
Until recently, I’ve been living in the city all my life and don’t have any experience finding my way out of a forest if I get lost. But yes. Lesson learned. One should not rely too heavily on technology. For my next mushroom foraging session, I’ll have to find an old-school map, printed on actual paper, to have as a back-up. Are there even paper maps these days? And if there are, are there maps for forests?
So many questions, so few answers. And no phone to use for googling.
I heave out a sigh and look around. There’s an almost-uprooted tree that would have fallen if it weren’t leaning heavily on its neighbor, and I know I walked by it on my way to my current position because I noticed its predicament. So I’ll just head in that direction, pay extra close attention to my surroundings and search for other clues I recognize. I’m not a damsel in distress; I’m a capable forty-year-old man who can find my way out of a benign forest. I can. Maybe if I tell myself enough times, it’ll come true.
“Finally a plan,” I say as I jump to my feet. “Everything is better with a plan.”
I pat my pockets to make sure I have everything. Phone, check. Mushroom book—I didn’t want to pick any dangerous ones and accidentally poison myself to death—check.
I pick up the basket and walk to the semi-fallen tree. Another tree, that I noticed earlier because its leaves are so intensely red, is familiar, and I walk toward it.
Great job, Måns. You’ve got this.
A little while later, I’m forced to admit that ‘you’ve got this’ was a bit optimistic, and that I, in fact, don’t.
Nell Iris 