Excerpt & Guest Post: Laura Hunsaker and Dreams of the Past from Last Chance Beach

Hi everyone! Thanks for having me here at Bea’s Book Nook! (We're delighted to have you! ~ Bea)

Usually during the summer we go to the beach. Obviously with the world going how it is, we didn’t travel this summer, so I found another way to enjoy the beach but without leaving my home.

Last Chance Beach- where romance and dreams go to live again, and wishes do come true.

A group of 14 authors decided to beat the heat and at least mentally go on vacation. We created a tourist island with locals and with seasonal visitors. Every author in the set has a stand-alone story but we share the island. We all use the same cafe, the same restaurant, the same pub...it was really fun to write!

My story Dreams of the Past fits after Dark Past in the Fatal Instincts world. In this, Jenny is trying to leave her nightmares behind, so she travels to Last Chance Beach. She stays in her godmother’s beach bungalow called Sea Glass Cottage, but someone else has rented the house out for the same dates…

Scott Gordon is a Navy SEAL. He’s been injured, and although his injury has healed well, it’ll never be Navy SEAL well. He’s trying to figure out what his new normal is. He figures staying in a cottage on the beach will give him plenty of time to figure out his future. When he sees Jenny asleep in his bed, he doesn’t know what to think. One thing is for sure, neither one of them ever thought they would find a happily ever after in Sea Glass Cottage.

Writing this story was more fun than I expected. Trying to mesh my vision of the island with 13 other authors’ ideas of the island should have been difficult, yet I found it kind of exciting. It was really fun trying to envision where I put a coffee shop and how far it would be from where someone else put a lighthouse. I never realized how many things go in to planning an imaginary community. At one point someone created a map, and wow was that the coolest moment! It was as if we saw our books come to life.

The island of Last Chance Beach has a little bit of everything for everyone. While all books are a Contemporary Romance, with each of our individual styles and voices, it’s really exciting to see how many different stories can happen on one island! There’s a free companion book of our favorite beach drinks, so download the recipe book, make a drink, and kick back and enjoy your time on Last Chance Beach!

Find Laura online:

Website
Blog
Twitter
Goodreads

When Jenny woke in the morning, even though it was early, she felt better-rested than she had in a long time. She remembered instantly that she should have a man in her bed. But he wasn’t there. Stretching and lolling about in bed, she figured that it was for the best. He’d probably heard from the rental agency, and they’d fixed the mistake. Strangely, she was sad he hadn’t said goodbye. Weird. She hadn’t cared about men for a long time, and yet she seemed to care for this one.

Letting out an indelicate, “Oof,” she stepped back, blinking. “You.”

He grinned. “Me.”

She wasn’t mad he was back. In fact, she found herself smiling back. He was shirtless and wet. In fact, a water droplet was making its way down his neck, past his collarbone, and trailing to the trident tattoo on his chest. His very broad, muscular chest that she should absolutely not be looking at. Not even a little bit. She would look up. Any moment now.

His hand reached out and snagged her mug. That made her eyes fly back to his. He gulped down her coffee, little crinkles by his eyes let her know he was smiling. Why was he so sexy?

Taking her coffee from him before he was done, she teased him. “You plan on staying here, you learn not to touch my coffee. I don’t share. But the good news is that there’s a full pot.”

Slipping out of bed, she padded barefoot to the kitchen and looked for a coffee maker. Thank goodness she found a pantry stocked with the basics and, oh bless Tilly, coffee. Once the scent of the coffee permeated her sleep-fuzzed brain, she figured she should probably brush her teeth and shower for the day. Taking another sip, she took her mug with her. Wandering to the bathroom, Jenny didn’t hear the door open and bumped into Scott.

“You’re letting me stay?”

“I—I guess I am.” And she was strangely okay with it. And it had nothing to with the fact that he was shirtless and wet. Nothing at all.

***************

Blurb - Last Chance Beach

LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer's End, 14 all-new romantic short stories set in the island paradise where Dreams go to live again, and Wishes may come true.

The beach houses, condos, and hotels are full for Summer's End, but there's still time left to find love, new romances, second chances, hot alpha males, heartwarming heroes, love at first sight, romantic delight—and time left for enemies to become lovers and opposites to attract.

Throw another log on the beach bonfire and celebrate LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer's End, stories created especially for this romance collection by NY Times and USA Today bestselling authors and other bestselling and award-winning authors. These summer love stories will thrill the hopeful romantic in you. Some are sweet: some are sizzling! Some are humorous; some are serious. All will make you want to book a vacation to this island of legend and love.

LAST CHANCE BEACH: Summer's End, the place where soul mates find each other and love at first sight happens all the time!

Joan Reeves, NY Times and USA Today Bestselling Author
When they met, it was hate at first sight. Now they're stuck in the same overbooked beach cottage and horrified to discover they have the hots for each other!

Liz Flaherty, USA Today Bestselling Author
Their lives are planned out...until they're not! Are they in love or just stuck in a habit?

Nancy Fraser, Top 100 Bestselling Author
At a high school reunion; old flames meet again. Can they re-ignite what they once had and take a last chance on love?

Caroline Clemmons, Top 100 Bestselling Author
She faces a hard decision; he encourages her to choose with her heart. Will the solution drive them apart or into one another's arms?

Maddie James, Top 100 Bestselling Author
It's the typical annual week on the beach with the girls—until her summer fling from 20 years back shows up. He's the one who got away. She's the one who couldn't commit.

Jan Scarbrough, National Bestselling Author
The kids are grown; her husband has an important career, and she wonders if she still loves him, and if he loves her. Can she turn back the clock to save her marriage?

Kathleen Lawless, National Bestselling Author
Of all the beaches on the coast, who shows up on her beach? Him! A former competitive surfer runs into her former love, and revisits all the reasons things didn't work out for them before.

Bonnie Edwards, National Bestselling Author
She wants a divorce—he doesn't. What happens in Vegas doesn't always stay in Vegas!

Marcia King-Gamble, National Bestselling Author
She's hiding from the paparazzi after a scandal. He's the guy next door, an amateur photographer. Will he accept tabloid money for pictures of her? Or will he choose love over jumpstarting his career?

Kathryn Hills, Award Winning Author
Kat must convince her Gran to move to the mainland, but Gran—and hunky neighbor Ben—want Kat to takeover the B&B and antique shop. What will it take for Kat to stay? Some of Gran’s special island magic?

Connie Vines, Award Winning Author
She returns to Last Chance Beach to begin a new life. He's a single dad on vacation with his pre-teen daughter. He's worried his daughter may become too attached to her, but maybe he's the one whose heart is at risk.

Laura Hunsaker, Award Winning Author
Can dreams of the future erase her nightmares of the past? She's looking for a fresh start, but he’s rented the same beach cottage. One bed, two people? Whatever will they do?

Nora LeDuc
He's handsome and in town for only 2 weeks. She wants someone interested in a fling. He wants someone interested in a ring.

Hannah Rowan
She won the big lottery, but doesn't want anyone to know. He's a fixer-upper specialist with a secret too.

Blurb - Dreams of the past

She needs rest, he needs relaxation…

Jenny Travers wants a fresh start. Leaving the nightmares of her past behind her, she heads to Last Chance Beach. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds peaceful and relaxing, which is exactly what she needs.

What she doesn’t need is a man.

Lieutenant Commander Scott Gordon was injured by an IED on his last mission, and while his leg has healed, it’ll never be strong enough to stay on his SEAL team. Renting the Sea Glass Cottage sounds like the perfect place to figure out how he’s going to handle his new normal.

He never expected to find a woman in his bed.

A mix-up at the rental agency means Jenny and Scott are both renting the small cottage. Sharing a space with a stranger should be hard, yet they both feel more at peace than they have in months.

Will their summer romance last, or is the magic of Sea Glass Cottage all they’ll have…

Publisher: Vita Via Publishing
Release Date: August 4th, 2020
Formats: Kindle
Buying Links: Amazon*  (free in KU) * associate links; the blog receives a small commission from purchases made through these links.

There's also a companion book, free at Amazon, with recipes for cocktails - https://amzn.to/33TuVGJ
Some of the recipes can be found in the Last Chance Beach anthology while others are not.