The Road to Bliss by Denise N. Wheatley Book Tour and Giveaway :)
The
Road to Bliss
by
Denise N. Wheatley
Genre:
Contemporary Romance
Newly
engaged Timber West is a beauty and wellness entrepreneur who
seemingly has it all. But her life is turned upside down when she
breaks off her engagement with Brian after he questions her career
choices and wavers on wanting more children. Timber turns to her
friend Eva for sympathy, which is tricky considering Brian is also
Eva’s father.
Timber
eventually finds love again with sexy actor Alex and moves her
company Soothing Bliss into a beautiful commercial space. With an
exciting new man and a business that’s flourishing, Timber feels as
though she’s on the perfect path. But she’s thrown into a
whirlwind of turmoil when Soothing Bliss’s new location is
threatened to be purchased by a callous art curator, and Alex’s
popularity sparks his wandering eye.
Then
Brian reappears and they start up an unlikely friendship, giving
Timber just the boost she needs. As Christmastime approaches,
Timber’s wish is that her favorite holiday will bring about a
miracle in her fight to keep Soothing Bliss in its rightful home.
With a little compromise and dose of holiday magic, Timber wonders
whether she and Brian can work through their past and mend a
relationship that perhaps never should have unraveled.
Reader
Alert!
Timber
West always plays by the rules. So even she’s surprised when she
decides to leave her prestigious job as a chemist and launch a beauty
and wellness company. Her fiancé Brian, who was her chemistry
professor during college and also happens to be her best friend’s
father, isn’t happy with this decision. His disapproval leads to
their breakup, but a devastated Timber eventually finds love again
with a charismatic movie star. Life is good until both her new
relationship and business begin to falter, leaving Timber
reevaluating Brian and pondering whether she should give him a second
chance.
To
My Readers:
A
story just isn’t a story without a large dose of romance and a
happily ever after. THE ROAD TO BLISS is just that. This novel is a
beautiful tale of love and second chances, with plenty of fun, drama
and turmoil in between! My main character’s love affair feels so
real to me, to the point where I found myself rooting for her in
hopes that everything would work in her favor. Writing this book was
a wonderful journey, and I hope you enjoy reading it as much as I
enjoyed writing it!
Timber
rested her head against the couch and thought about that night she
and Brian’s relationship transitioned from academic to personal.
After Eva had left for the city, Timber went back up to the apartment
to tell the professor she was leaving. When she walked inside, he was
sitting on the couch. He asked her to join him. She did. He was
sitting on one end. She sat down on the other. The space in the
middle was empty. He appeared miles away. Timber
felt the tears coming on again. But this time they weren’t tears of
grief. They were tears of joy. And nervousness. Because she knew that
she needed to explain why she’d shunned him over the past several
months, and tell him how she really felt about him. Timber took a
deep breath and turned towards him, ready to confess. “I
love you,” Brian whispered. He looked directly into her eyes. His
hands were folded in his lap. He sat perfectly still, his expression
wrinkled with sincerity. Timber
leaned back and stared at him in disbelief. She wanted to say
something, but couldn’t because his statement had paralyzed her
vocal chords. Her mouth hung open. She struggled to speak. But before
she could, the professor slid into that empty middle seat and wrapped
his arms around her. Timber embraced him, closing her eyes and
finally allowing the tears to fall. The
professor pulled away from her and smiled. “Are we still on for
dinner tonight?” “Absolutely.” “Great.
I’ll pick you up at seven. We have a lot to talk about, and a lot
to figure out. But I think we should take things slowly so not to
ruin something that we both seem to have wanted for quite some time.” “I
agree,” Timber replied. The pair stood up and left the apartment. “By
the way, you know you can call me Brian now,” he said amusingly. “That
may be somewhat difficult considering I’ve been calling you
Professor Morris all this time, but I’ll try,” Timber laughed. “I’ll
see you at seven,” he said, walking Timber to her car then heading
to his. “Hey,”
Timber called out. “Yes?” “I
love you, too.” “Good.
I was waiting for that.”
* * *
Timber
gave herself a quick once-over in the mirror then heard her bell
ring. When she opened the door, Brian’s eyes widened and he took a
step back. The dozen roses he was holding fell down by his side. She
laughed and took the flowers then invited him in. “Wow.
You look absolutely stunning,” he told her. “I couldn’t even
speak when you opened the door.” “Yeah,
I noticed!” Timber laughed, walking to the kitchen and putting the
flowers in water. “Thank you. You look very nice, too.” And
he did in his crisp blue shirt and perfectly tailored navy suit. His
hair was freshly cut and he smelled divine. Timber felt a thrill
shoot up her spine, still is awe that this night was finally
happening. “I
was thinking we could do Italian tonight,” Brian suggested when
Timber walked back into the living room and placed her flowers on the
coffee table. “By the way,” he continued, “Did I tell you how
beautiful you look?” “I
believe you did,” Timber blushed, grabbing her clutch. “Shall we
go?” “Yes,
we shall.” On
the way to the restaurant, music and movies were the topics of
conversation. After they ordered, they chatted about Eva. Throughout
dinner, Timber caught Brian up on everything he’d missed over the
past several months. During dessert, they discussed how Brian had
married Eva’s mother at a very young age and had no idea what he
was getting himself into. But he was glad that they’d remained
great friends after their divorce, and they were both so proud of the
way they’d co-parented with Eva. After
dessert, Timber and Brian sipped espresso and discussed her upcoming
first semester as a graduate student. He explained to her what she
could expect, and what she should focus on depending on her career
path after graduation. Three and a half hours had passed. And it was
the best date that Timber had ever been on. The
lively conversation continued on the drive back to Timber’s house.
When Brian pulled into her driveway and walked her to the door, it
was obvious that neither of them wanted the evening to end. And while
they hadn’t discussed what the future held for them as a couple, it
certainly seemed as if they both wanted to be together. “I
had a wonderful time tonight,” Brian said. “So
did I. It was the best date ever.” “Was
it really? Well I’m glad to hear that. And thank you. That’s
quite the compliment.” “It’s
the truth. Great food, great conversation…it was as if we’d never
lost touch.” “It
was,” Brian agreed. “We’ve always had great chemistry.” He
paused, then took Timber’s hand in his. “So does this mean you’d
like to see me again?” “I
would love to,” Timber responded, intertwining her fingers with
his. “Good.
I’m looking forward to it. And just so you know, I’ve wanted to
be with you since the first day you walked into my classroom.” Timber
stared at Brian through widened eyes. So it was official. He had in
fact been just as interested in her as she’d been in him from the
very beginning. “But
I honestly never thought this would happen,” he continued,
“Especially after every day that went by that I wasn’t able to
talk to you. After you graduated, I didn’t think I’d ever see you
again. So now that I have you here, I don’t ever want to let you
go.” Brian
leaned in and kissed Timber softly. She closed her eyes and relished
in the moment, absorbing every single word that he had just spoken
while his supple lips pressed against hers. She was so taken aback by
his admission as well as this kiss that she felt as though she was
floating on air. Timber
hoped their relationship would last forever. After almost six years
of inseparability, she was confident it would. When Brian slipped a
diamond and platinum engagement ring on her finger one day late last
year, she was convinced that it would…
Denise N. Wheatley is a lover of romance, happy endings and the art of storytelling. She used to cry as a three-year old child when her mother read to her because she so badly wanted to read the books herself! Once she learned, Denise constantly had her nose in a novel (especially the ones she’d sneak from her mom’s bookshelf). She’s been writing for as long as she can remember and draws inspiration from Chicago, the city where she was born and raised, as well as Los Angeles, which is one of her favorite places in the world. Denise has published several books and novellas with Simon & Schuster, Red Sage Publishing, eXtasy Books and independently, has written screenplays and teleplays, and has ghostwritten for some of your faves. When she isn’t sitting behind her computer, you can find Denise in a movie theater, on a tennis court, watching true crime television or chatting on social media.
What
was the motivation behind writing The
Road to Bliss?
I
was motivated to write The
Road to Bliss
after watching Julia Roberts’ film Notting
Hill.
I flipped the plot a bit because in my novel, the main character
Timber West works as a beauty and wellness entrepreneur while her
love interest Alex Witherspoon is the movie star, as oppose to the
woman (Roberts’ character) being the celebrity and the male
protagonist (Hugh Grant’s character) being the entrepreneur. In
addition to that, I’m a huge fan of Christmas movies. So with this
book, I felt compelled to add a magical holiday element that would
play into the relationship between my two protagonists.
I
also wanted to pen a book filled with a large dose of romance and a
happily ever after. For me, The
Road to Bliss
is just that. My goal was to write a beautiful tale of love and
second chances, with plenty of fun, drama and turmoil in between. I
wanted Timber’s love affair to feel realistic for readers, to the
point where they’d root for her in hopes that everything would work
in her favor. I hope that readers enjoy reading it as much as I
enjoyed writing it!
How
long have you been writing?
I’ve
been writing for as long as I can remember, and began penning my
first novel right after college graduation. My book I
Wish I Never Met You
was published by Simon & Schuster in 2004.
What
are the first steps you take once you’re ready to write a book?
First,
I try and come up with an idea that’s solid enough to carry a 250+
page manuscript. Second, I write a synopsis then a full outline which
will act as a guide throughout the writing process. Third, I do a bit
of character profiling. It’s nothing too intense, but enough to
help me remain on course with my protagonists and antagonists and
prevent me from writing unsuitable character traits. Fourth, I dive
in and start writing, making
sure that I don’t
stop
and edit as I go or incessantly mull over something I’ve already
written. I focus on getting the book done, with a plan to edit once
it’s been completed.
Describe
yourself in 5 words or less. Go!
Compassionate, upbeat, caring, impatient, and talkative.
If you could spend time with a character from your book whom would it be? And what would you do during that day?
I’d
spend the day with Devon Jacobs, the main character in my WIP She
Gets What She Wants.
Devon lives in LA (my fave city) and works on a television sitcom (my
dream job). She’s friends with all the hotties on the show and has
access to some of the coolest spots in the city, so I imagine we’d
spend the day on the set then hang out that evening at a fun bar,
club or restaurant.
What
can we expect from you in the future?
I’ve
got some great things happening this year! Next up, my romantic
suspense novel Wards
of the Women
will be released by eXtasy Books/Devine Destinies this fall. The
third installment of my contemporary romance series The
Holiday Chronicles,
as well as the second installment of my paranormal romance series
Shadow
of a Man,
will be released later this year.
I’m
currently finishing up my chick lit novel She
Gets What She Wants,
about a jilted Midwestern girl who believes she can conquer
Hollywood, so she does, that I’ll be submitting to my publisher
soon. And lastly, I’m shopping a teleplay that I wrote based on my
novel I
Wish I Never Met You
in hopes of getting it picked up by a network. Fingers crossed it’ll
be on the air soon!
Follow
the tour HERE
for exclusive excerpts, guest posts and a giveaway!
Thank you so much for posting my novel, and best of luck to the giveaway entrants! <3
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