Welcome to my stop on the virtual book tour for Partner Pursuit by Kathy Strobos. This book tour was organized by Goddess Fish Promotions. On my stop, I have an excerpt from the book as well as an interesting guest post from the author. There's also the tour wide giveaway for a chance to win a $30 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card. Be sure to visit the other stops on the tour for more content. Enjoy!
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Title: Partner PursuitAuthor: Kathy Strobos
Publisher: Strawbundle Publishing
Publication Date: October 18th 2021
Print Length: 388 pages
Genre: Romantic Comedy
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When a workaholic lawyer meets a fun-loving music marketing executive for opposites attract, friends-to-lovers adventures, which partnership will she choose?
Workaholic lawyer Audrey Willems is not going to take any chances with her bid to become a partner at her New York law firm—especially with only six months until the decision.
Until she bumps into Jake—her new neighbor.
Jake is a fun-loving music marketing executive who might just be The One.
He’s funny, caring, supportive—and able to kill water bugs in the bathroom.
But Jake will never date a woman married to her job. His father was a workaholic lawyer who never had time for family.
And she’s just got the case of a lifetime—the one she needs to win to make partner. Working 24/7 at the office may not even be enough hours to pull off a victory.
If only she had not met him now.
Audrey is determined to prove that she can juggle work and romance—even if managing court cases, candlelit dinners, and bike rides around Manhattan is a lot harder than it looks. She keeps canceling dates for yet another case crisis.
But when making partner is like a game of musical chairs and the last seat is a business-class alone, which partnership will she choose?
Goodreads * Amazon * Barnes & Noble *
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EXCERPT:
Water bugs were at the top of the short list of things she hated about summer in New York. She grabbed the vacuum cleaner and rubber gloves from the closet. She pulled her socks up over her work pants so the bug couldn’t crawl up her legs. She pulled her hair into a ponytail and wrapped a scarf around her hair. She didn’t want it flying into her hair. She pulled on the rubber gloves.
She carried the vacuum cleaner across the bedroom to the sliding door and put it down. She wanted her weapon at hand should the bug escape into the bedroom. She went outside into her garden and peeked over the fence. The light was on. Jake was up. She slipped through the hole in the fence and, with the dim light peeking through the curtained windows, carefully followed the path to his sliding door. She banged loudly on the glass. Biscuit barked.
Jake, pulling back the curtain and opening the sliding door, looked shocked. Jake was bare-chested. All hard muscle. She flushed.
“Wow, is this like a 1960s cleaning visit fantasy?” he asked. “Not that I ever had that dream, but you know, I do like the James Bonds from that period—especially the headscarves. I’m not sure about the socks over the pants though.”
“Very funny. A giant water bug has invaded my bathroom, and I need you to kill it.”
“You look pretty equipped to do the job yourself.”
“Yes, well it’s up in a corner I can’t reach.”
“Okay. But I’m not particularly fond of them myself.”
“It’s tough being a boy,” she said.
“I thought you were one of those women who could do it all.”
“No one can do it all. And I especially can’t do water bugs.”
He grabbed his t-shirt from the couch and pulled it on. He started to put on his sandals and stopped. “Do I need to add the socks?”
“I’d recommend it unless you don’t mind if it crawls on your foot. You might want to put on long pants as well.”
“Too hot. But I’ll add the socks in case I try to step on it. I’d better get a heavy shoe as well. C’mon, Biscuit, we’re going to battle a bug.”
They walked back through the two gardens in the warm night air. Audrey opened the sliding door and picked up the vacuum cleaner, slinging the hose over her shoulder.
He said, “You know, it’s the vacuum cleaner slung over your shoulder that really adds that flair.”
“You’re just jealous because you’ve only got a shoe.”
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ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Kathy Strobos is a writer living in New York City with her husband and two children, amid a growing collection of books, toys and dollhouses. She grew up in New York City and graduated from Stuyvesant High School and Harvard-Radcliffe University magna cum laude. She previously worked as a lawyer. She left law to pursue her dream of writing fiction full-time and getting in shape. She is still working on getting in shape.
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GUEST POST:
Here are the qualities I think make for the perfect significant other, though I’m sure I’m missing some.
- Caring
- Sense of humor
- Intelligent
- Supportive of you and your goals
- Likes to cook (and if he does the dishes, that’s also excellent. I once wrote a scene where the guy was doing the dishes, and my teacher said I should take it out because it was boring, but I was like it’s sexy to me 😊 So I shortened it. Someone has to do the dishes, and I’d prefer it’s him. Lol. )
- Affectionate
- Attractive to you
- Fun
- Calm in stressful situations
- Positive attitude
- Able to kill gigantic cockroaches
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GIVEAWAY:
Kathy Strobos will be awarding a $30 Amazon or Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner via Rafflecopter. Good luck!
(All the Ups and Downs is not responsible for this giveaway, its entries, or the prize. Goddess Fish Promotions assumes all responsibility for this giveaway.)
I love the cover and think the book sounds great.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteThanks for hosting!
ReplyDeleteHow long was the writing process?
ReplyDeleteHi Deborah, For this book, it was a long time. I think I started about 8 years ago, when I saw a really bad romcom and then wrote some scenes for a romcom. Then I put it away, because I was busy with my kids and my job, but then I took an online writing course in 2016 and I loved that so much that I kept taking more courses and writing more of the story- and revising. I had a lot to learn about writing commercial fiction. My second book took about 2 years, so it is getting faster.
DeleteOkay. This guest post is amazing. I do believe EVERYTHING is accurate.
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!!
DeleteEspecially the part about doing the dishes and killing giant cockroaches, right?
DeleteOh DEFINITELY the cockroaches. We've had a couple of incidents recently. He was nice enough to get out of bed and kill it. I also forgot that they fly.
DeleteThanks so much for hosting and your great question!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a very enjoyable book.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI could use a little comedy in my life!!
ReplyDeleteThere is definitely comedy, but also some tension.
DeleteThat makes it even better!
Deletegreat cover this sounds like a book I would really enjoy
ReplyDeleteThanks. I love my cover. It was designed by Cover Ever After in Australia. I hope you enjoy the book.
DeleteLooks like a fun read. What a cute cover.
ReplyDeleteI love my cover. The cover designer made them bicycling on a slant uphill to show the uphill struggle.
DeleteSounds like a good book.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteI am so glad you enjoyed the excerpt. Good luck!
DeleteSounds like a great book, have a great day!!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Hope you have a great day too!
Deletedo you have others read your work before you submit it to your editor/publisher? thanks
ReplyDeleteYes, I have several critique partners and then I also hire different free-lance editors. Plus, I usually submit pieces of the story for critique in classes that I am taking. It helps to have others look at it because I'm too close to it.
DeleteThis looks neat, cheers on your book tour.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much!
DeleteNice cover. I liked the excerpt. It sounds like a really interesting book. Thank you for sharing.
ReplyDeleteThanks so much for your comment! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI enjoyed reading the excerpt and guest post, Kathy and your book sounds like a fun read for me! Thanks for bringing it to my attention and have an awesome week!
ReplyDeleteThanks for all your support. Have a great week!
DeleteThe book sounds interesting. Cute book cover.
ReplyDeleteI love my book cover. Thanks so much for commenting!
DeleteSounds like an interesting book. I like the cover.
ReplyDeleteI love my cover. I hope you enjoy the book.
DeleteYour book sounds really good. I am always looking for new authors to read
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteYour book sounds really good. I am always looking for new authors to read
ReplyDeleteThanks so much! I hope you enjoy it! Who are some of your favorite authors?
DeleteYour book sounds really good. I am always looking for new authors to read
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThe book sounds really great.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteLooks like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
Thank you! Good luck in the contest!
DeleteThis sounds like a really interesting book.
ReplyDeleteThank you! I hope you enjoy it.
DeleteIn your About the Author section, it says you are surrounded by dollhouses. How many dollhouses does your family have?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Hmm. Do I have to admit this? :) We have 3 large dollhouses. I have 2 and my kids have 1. And then I have about 19 roomboxes.
DeleteCute cute cute. Good work
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteRomantic Comedy - A great relaxing read!
ReplyDeleteThank you for sharing this with us.
Thank you!
DeleteCover looks great! Excerpt sounds interesting.
ReplyDeleteThank you. I am so glad you found the excerpt interesting.
DeleteI do like the cover.
ReplyDeleteI love my cover. My cover designer made them bicycling up an incline to show there was some conflict.
DeleteSounds like a fun read. Looking forward to reading the book.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI so want to read this one this fall season.
ReplyDeleteheather
hgtempaddy
Thank you! I hope you enjoy it!
DeleteDo you have any advice for new writers?
ReplyDeleteJust write--even if the first draft is terrible. You can improve a terrible first draft. Take writing classes. I have learned so much from writing classes, and it helps to add all these tools to your writing toolbox so that you can fall back on them when you’re stuck.
DeleteI highly recommend Linnea Sinclair’s classes (new classes posted here: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063591436317).
Also, classes are great for meeting other writers and finding critique partners. I recommend finding critique partners. Chatting to other writers is so helpful and inspiring! And my critique partners have been amazing in pointing out where I need to raise the stakes or add more tension.
I also recommend joining writers’ associations like the WFWA and the RNA. There are also so many great writers’ and readers’ groups on Facebook.
Read in your genre.
There are also so many writing books I recommend, but here are a few:
Writing the Romantic Comedy by Billy Mernit (this is a fun book to read about romantic comedies—even if you’re not writing one)
Story Genius by Lisa Cron
The Emotional Craft of Fiction by Donald Maas
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder
Scene and Structure by Jack Bickham
Techniques of the Selling Writer by Dwight Swain
Also, I found entering RWA-related contests helpful. The feedback is very useful. Placing also felt like a validation of my writing. Partner Pursuit placed in two contests:
• Winner of the Hudson Valley RWA’s 2020 25-4-25 Contest (Romance)
• Third Place in the 2019 RWA Orange Rose Contest for Women’s Fiction with Romance as a Central Element under its former title, The Only One.
This sounds like a good book!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteCongrats on this playful-sounding book!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat's your favorite book to re-read?
ReplyDeleteThe Undomestic Goddess by Sophie Kinsella is one book I like to re-read.
DeleteSounds like a great read.
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteWhat is the family favorite child's toy in your home collection?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
Lego
Deletesounds like a fun one
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI enjoyed the excerpt and cover. Thank you for the giveaway!
ReplyDeleteThank you! Good luck!
DeleteWhat's your favorite book genre?
ReplyDeleteRomantic Comedy.
DeleteExcellent work!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteI really want to read this book.
ReplyDeleteI hope you enjoy it!
DeleteI love to read Romantic Comedy books. Reading is my escape from the everyday rountine called life. With Covid and not being out and about town, I found reading books, especially romance and comedy genre, always helps my mood.
ReplyDeleteMe too. Romcoms definitely cheer me up.
DeleteThis book sounds like a fun book.
ReplyDeleteThank you! It also has some tension.
DeleteI like the cover and Biscuit is a cute dogs name
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteHave you ever ridden a bicycle built for two, as pictured on your book cover?
ReplyDeleteNancy
allibrary (at) aol (dot) com
I enjoyed the excerpt. Thank you for sharing!
ReplyDeleteThank you!
DeleteThank you for such an interesting excerpt - well done!
ReplyDeleteThank you so much!
DeleteWhat do you watch on Youtube?
ReplyDeleteRight now, videos on formatting books, so not that interesting.
DeleteUgh the excerpt started off with what I hate most lol and I live in NYC so I felt that
ReplyDeleteI so hate waterbugs!! ugh.
DeleteLAST DAY
ReplyDeleteThanks for the contest.
Good luck!
Delete