We are THRILLED to feature a DOUBLE COVER REVEAL from USA Today bestselling author, Priscilla Oliveras! What a treat–especially because she’s also sharing an exclusive excerpt from the highly-anticipated second book in the Keys to Love series, ANCHORED HEARTS. Read on to see the gorgeous covers and to read more about her upcoming releases.
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For me, one of the best moments of author life is when my publisher and I finalize a cover for one of my upcoming books. Even though I’ve spent countless hours pecking away at the keyboard striving to bring my characters to life, seeing that cover makes the book feel more real. A giddiness tickles my chest. A palpable excitement courses through me at the thought of sharing the image that captures the essence of the love story.
Getting a chance to share a DOUBLE cover reveal for my novella HOLIDAY HOME RUN and ANCHORED HEARTS, book 2 in my Keys to Love series, thanks to Fresh Fiction is. . . ¡Bueno, it’s fantastico! Definitely a first time I’ll always remember!
HOLIDAY HOME RUN features Julia Fernandez, a cousin of my beloved Fernandez sisters in the MATCHED TO PERFECTION series. Julia’s an event planner, in Chicago for an internship she hopes to turn into a full-time job. She’s ready to live on her own, out from under her familia’s expectations that she take over their catering business in Puerto Rico and away from their year-round baseball fever thanks to her three ball-playing brothers. Ex-MLB pitcher Ben Thomas knows what it’s like to have different dreams than your family intends for you, but since his injury-caused early retirement, he’s been struggling to find the sense of family baseball once brought him. When he volunteers as the emcee for Julia’s big holiday fundraiser for a local youth center, he finally begins to find a sense of purpose working with the kids and alongside Julia. She’s focused on organizing the best holiday event the youth center has ever seen, not on romance. But Ben. . . he’s got a game plan for them that includes both.
HOLIDAY HOME RUN releases as an ebook in late October and is on pre-order now. Treat yourself to some holiday romance and experience one of my favorite Puerto Rican holiday traditions–la parranda–in one of my favorite cities. . . Chicago!
Up next on our double-the-fun reveal. . . ANCHORED HEARTS, featuring Anamaria Navarro, Luis’s younger sister whom you may have met in ISLAND AFFAIR earlier this year. ANCHORED HEARTS is the second chance romance between Anamaría and her wayward first love, Alejandro. Here’s a peek at the back cover copy so you can learn a little more. . .
Award-winning photographer Alejandro Miranda hasn’t been home to Key West in years–not since he left to explore broader horizons with his papi’s warning “never to come back” echoing in his ears. He wouldn’t be heading there now if it wasn’t for an injury requiring months of recuperation. The drama of a prodigal son returning to his familia and their beloved Cuban restaurant is bad enough, but coming home to the island paradise also means coming face to face with the girl he left behind–the one who was supposed to be by his side all along . . .
Anamaria Navarro was shattered when Alejandro took off without her. Traveling the world was their plan, not just his. But after her father’s heart attack, there was no way she could leave–not even for the man she loved. Now ensconced in the family trade as a firefighter and paramedic, with a side hustle as a personal trainer, Anamaria is dismayed that just the sight of Alejandro is enough to rekindle the flame she’s worked years to put out. And as famillia meddling pushes them together, the heat of their attraction only climbs higher. Can they learn to trust again, before the Key West sun sets on their chance at happiness?
ANCHORED HEARTS releases May 2021 and, like HOLIDAY HOME RUN, is on pre-order now.
Once again, I’m thrilled to invite readers for a visit to Key West, the island I called home during my adolescence and early twenties. My hope is that you pick up a Keys to Love novel and find yourself falling in love with the Navarro family and our island home. With that in mind, I’m psyched to share this excerpt from ANCHORED HEARTS’s opening chapter along with another fabulous cover designed by Kensington’s talented Art Department.
Sincere gracias to Fresh Fiction and Danielle Dresser for hosting this double cover reveal! I hope you OOOHHH and AAAAHHH over the covers like I did!
Abrazos/Hugs,
Priscilla
ANCHORED HEARTS excerpt:
“Bueno, since you refused to go see the doctor. I asked someone to come see you,” his mami told him.
If he didn’t feel like death warmed over, Alejandro might have laughed at her over-protective, nature. “Mami, few doctors make house calls anymore. Not the ones my insurance company will cover anyway.”
“I didn’t call a doctor. I called familia.”
Fatigue weighing down his body, Alejandro slowly shook his head, not following. They didn’t have any physicians in their family. “What do you mean?”
Her brows furrowed, his mami exchanged a worried glance with his abuela, then sent a familiar “don’t say anything” parental warning at his brother who in turn threw an apologetic grimace Alejandro’s way.
Unease slithered down his spine.
“We only need someone with enough medical experience to properly clean your wounds and tell me if I should make you go to the hospital,” his mami said. “When the physical therapist comes later this week, I can ask any new questions I have.”
“Someone with. . . wait. . . ” Alejandro shot a what-the-hell, how-could-you-let-her glare at his traitorous brother.
Ernesto ducked his head, a sure sign he knew what their mami was up to but refused to, or more like was wise enough not to, get in her bulldozing way.
“Mami,” Alejandro’s voice sharpened. “Who did you call?”
Her eyes narrowed at his gruff tone. A warning for him to curb his disrespect.
The stubbornness tightening his mami’s lips and the calming hand his abuela laid on his left forearm answered Alejandro’s question.
Dread descended like a dark storm cloud rolling in from the ocean.
“Por favor, tell me you didn’t–”
A sharp knock on the front door interrupted him. Hinges creaking in protest as if aware of the doom gaining entrance, the door slowly pushed opened.
The rich, lilting voice that haunted his dreams, no matter how hard he tried to banish it, called out a hesitant “hola” as Anamaria Navarro stepped inside.
“Anamawia!” Lulu squealed.
Dark curls bouncing, his niece hopped off the loveseat. Her pink sandals slapped the grey and white tile as she ran with open arms toward the woman who’d unequivocally closed her heart to him.
The woman he hadn’t spoken to since their last Skype video chat over a decade ago. The night she shattered their youthful, naive dreams.
Lulu’s skinny arms wrapped around Anamaría’s thighs in a tight squeeze. Joy lit his ex’s hazel eyes, sucker punching him with vivid memories of her greeting him with a similar glee.
She bent to rub a hand on his niece’s back, her long dark ponytail swooping over her shoulder. “Hola, Lulu, this is a nice surprise.”
Lulu craned her neck to look up at Anamaría, adoration dawning over her cute face. Damn if Alejandro couldn’t help but understand exactly how the kid felt. Fool that he was, yearning for someone who obviously hadn’t felt the same.
“Tio Ale, tiene an owie,” Lulu announced. Like the Frankenstein contraption encircling his leg wasn’t clue enough.
“Yes, he does have an owie,” Anamaría answered. “A pretty big one. But your abuela and abuelita are going to take good care of him. Just like they do with you.”
“Will you come pway wif me soon?”
“I hope so. I need me some Lulu time.” Anamaría hunkered down and tugged one of Lulu’s curls, eliciting a sweet giggle from the child.
The closeness between the two–the niece he’d only seen the one time Ernesto and his family had visited him in Atlanta and the woman who’d basically said he wasn’t enough–felt like a poisonous lance in his side. He may not fit in here, but it was obvious Anamaría still did. Without him.
Holding her baby doll tightly against her chest, Lulu skipped back to her parents. “Anamawia gonna babysit me!”
“Not today. But we’ll see when.” Ernesto gave his daughter’s butt a nudge to help her clamber onto the loveseat.
“Text me, Cece, and I’ll let you know when I’m free.” Anamaria sent Lulu a wink and rose from her haunches. “I’m sure you two could use a date night before your bundle of joy arrives.”
His sister-in-law circled a hand over her huge, beach ball-sized belly that stretched the material of her soft blue, short-sleeved top. A tired smile tugged up the corners of Cece’s wide mouth as she murmured her thanks.
His shock over Anamaria’s unexpected visit slowly waning, Alejandro allowed his gaze to trail over her figure, on gorgeous display thanks to her athletic attire. Sporting a pair of form-fitting black leggings and a tight pink tank, the words AM Fitness in a black scrawling font across the front, capped off with matching black and pink Nike sneakers and a slick, high ponytail, she looked primed for an athletic wear photo shoot.
The active teenager he’d known and loved had matured into a vibrant woman. All lush curves and honed muscles, the latter no doubt hard earned from her work as a firefighter paramedic and fitness trainer.
She would have fit right in gloriously with the models for the Women’s Health spread he’d shot in the Bahamas last year.
Without acknowledging him, Anamara made the round of hello kisses and hugs with Ernesto and his family, even tickling Lulu’s baby doll under the chin, eliciting another precious giggle from his niece.
The scent of the tropical lotion Anamaria had always preferred tickled his nose when she stooped to brush a kiss on his abuela’s wrinkled cheek. The two exchanged warm smiles as his abuela patted Anamaría’s hand with a murmured, “Dios te bendiga, nena.”
The age-old wish for God’s blessing may be a trite phrase easily tossed out by many. But in this house, with the mini altar in the far corner and the pillar candle lit during his abuela’s daily prayer of the rosary, words of blessing held weight.
His mami had already stopped at their altar earlier, giving thanks for her answered prayers asking for his safe return.
Anamaría hugged his mami, waved off the offer of a drink, set her black backpack on the tile floor next to the coffee table, and then finally, finally, turned to acknowledge him.
It wasn’t easy, but he fought to maintain a neutral expression. To hide the anger, lingering pain, and disillusion of their past. All the while he catalogued the features he had conjured in his dreams.
Her oval-shaped face with its high cheekbones, expressive hazel eyes, and roundly pointed chin remained as beautiful as ever. The faint crow’s feet lightly raying out from her eyes added to her allure. Telltale signs of laughter and days squinting under the bright Key West sun. The serious slant of her full lips made him ache for the enticing grin she’d so readily flashed at him in years past. And now easily shared with others in his familia instead. The tiny, dark brown beauty mark below the right corner of her mouth made him itch to press a kiss to it. Only, he was no longer free to do so.
That right had been taken away from him the moment she changed her mind and chose to stay here. Refusing to follow him to Spain after her papi’s health had improved as promised.
That gut-wrenching moment when she made it clear that he hadn’t been enough for her.
“So, I hear someone needs a little medical attention.” Hands fisted on her hips, Anamaría got down to business, not even wasting time on a hello.
Fine by him. The faster they got this unwanted reunion over, the better.
“I’m fine. No need for you to be here,” he told her.
“Alejandro!” His mami’s shocked gasp was accompanied by a slap of his thigh. “No seas rudo!”
Anamaria smirked, the quirk of her lips reminiscent of times she had teased him for getting in trouble in the past. “Esta bien, Senora Miranda. Making house calls and dealing with the occasionally rude patient is in my job description. Lucky for Alejandro, I’m in a generous mood.”
Generous?
Please. It wasn’t like she was the one who’d been wronged here. Instead of the one who reneged on their shared plans. Then pushed him away.
Seeing as how she was about to poke around the leg that had started to throb as if an alien had implanted itself under his skin and decided this was the perfect time to burst out, Alejandro kept his accusation to himself.
The sooner they got this over with and Anamaría left, the sooner he could go back to reminding himself that he was better off without any of the pressure, recriminations, and disappointment being back in Key West presented. Better off without her.
Anamaria bent to peer at his injured leg. Her cool hand touched his left knee above the top external fixator ring, a soft caress that sent heat searing through him. He tensed and sucked in a shallow breath.
Her sharp, intuitive gaze darted his way, pinning him to the sofa cushion like a bug stuck to a specimen board. She eyed him warily. . . almost, expectantly. Something dark and primitive pulsed through him. Proof that while some things had changed in his absence, his instant reaction to the only woman he had ever loved remained brutally the same.
Without a word, Anamaria slid her glance away, breaking their connection as she leaned closer to peer at his surgically-repaired shin. Her ponytail swung down to brush against his skin at the hem of his shorts. Lust made a beeline up his leg, straight to his crotch.
Fucking great. Annoyed, he folded his hands in his lap to cover himself.
“Okay, let’s see what we’re dealing with here,” she said matter-of-factly, as if the spark between them hadn’t singed her the same way it had him.
Shit, he already knew what he was dealing with. His own personal hell.
Her motions brisk, Anamaria unzipped her backpack, removed a first aid kit, then opened and set it on the coffee table. She tugged on a pair of light blue medical gloves, the snap of the rubbery material against her skin loud in the quiet living room. Poor Lulu’s eyes widened with concern.
Anamaria straightened, her impassive expression grating on his frayed nerves. “You ready?”
Uh, no. For a slew of reasons he refused to admit. Especially to her.
With a brisk nod, Alejandro braced himself for the discomfort her ministrations would bring–to his leg, as well as his traitorous heart.
(C) Priscilla Oliveras, Kensington, 2020. Reprinted with permission from the author and publisher.
HOLIDAY HOME RUN by Priscilla Oliveras
Event planner Julia Louisa Fernandez dreams of a life in Chicago. But her family in Puerto Rico expects her to take over the catering business. Former pro baseball player Ben Thomas knows what that’s like–and when they meet, he might be the one to inspire a winning strategy, just in time for the holidays . . .
Romance Sports | Romance Holiday | Romance Contemporary [Kensington, On Sale: October 27, 2020, e-Book, ISBN: 9781420152920 / eISBN: 9781420152920]
Buy HOLIDAY HOME RUN: Kindle
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ANCHORED HEARTS by Priscilla Oliveras
Keys to Love #2
Award-winning photographer Alejandro Miranda hasn’t been home to Key West in years–not since he left to explore broader horizons with his papi’s warning “never to come back” echoing in his ears. He wouldn’t be heading there now if it wasn’t for an injury requiring months of recuperation. The drama of a prodigal son returning to his familia and their beloved Cuban restaurant is bad enough, but coming home to the island paradise also means coming face to face with the girl he left behind–the one who was supposed to be by his side all along . . .
Anamaría Navarro was shattered when Alejandro took off without her. Traveling the world was their plan, not just his. But after her father’s heart attack, there was no way she could leave–not even for the man she loved. Now ensconced in the family trade as a firefighter and paramedic, with a side hustle as a personal trainer, Anamaría is dismayed that just the sight of Alejandro is enough to rekindle the flame she’s worked years to put out. And as famillia meddling pushes them together, the heat of their attraction only climbs higher. Can they learn to trust again, before the Key West sun sets on their chance at happiness?
Romance Contemporary [Kensington, On Sale: April 27, 2021, Paperback / e-Book, ISBN: 9781420150193 / eISBN: 9781420150209]
Buy ANCHORED HEARTS: Amazon.com | Kindle
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About Priscilla Oliveras
PRISCILLA OLIVERAS is a USA Today bestselling author and 2018 RWA® RITA® double finalist who writes contemporary romance with a Latinx flavor. She and her work have earned praise from the O, The Oprah Magazine, Washington Post, New York Times, Entertainment Weekly, Redbook, Publishers Weekly, and Booklist, amongst others. Priscilla earned her MFA in Writing Popular Fiction from Seton Hill University and currently serves as adjunct faculty in the program and teaches the online class “Romance Writing” for ed2go. While she’s a devotee of the romance genre, Priscilla also considers herself a sports fan, beach lover, and Zumba aficionado, who often practices the art of napping in her backyard hammock.
To follow along on her fun-filled and hectic life, visit her on the web at prisoliveras.com, on Twitter via @prisoliveras or on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/prisoliveras.
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