Cards From Khloe's Flower Shop by Isabella Louise Anderson - Blog Tour, Excerpt, Guest Post & Giveaway

Love can only truly blossom when you trust your heart.

Cards From Khloe's Flower Shop

Isabella Louise Anderson

Released Jan 17th, 2017

As the owner of a successful florist shop, Khloe Harper trusts her instincts. She has a strong bond with her family and friends, but after being betrayed by her last love, she's kept herself at arms’ length from romance. When dashing entertainment attorney Derek Thomas walks into her store, Khloe’s interest is piqued. What at first seems like a business relationship quickly turns into romance, and Derek slowly plucks away the petals she’s been hiding behind. Just as Khloe lets down her guard, she discovers that Derek may not be worthy of her love after all.

Frumpy Connie Albright has a faux fascination with an imaginary man named Walt, thinking that by sending herself flowers from him she’ll feel less out-of-place with the “mean girls” she works with. When she comes face to face with her possible prince charming and thinking she might have a happy ending, when a truth is revealed, she wonders if she’ll ever have a Cinderella story.

A recently widowed senior, Gabby Lewis, isn't ready to give up on love—which means releasing herself from survivor's guilt and taking a chance on finding happiness and companionship again. After signing up for an online dating site for senior citizens, much to her surprise, she’s matched with Harry, an energetic and loving man, who quickly eases himself into her heart. Will Gabby take the leap of falling in love again, knowing it’s possible to have two loves of her life?

As each woman’s story develops through flowers and cards sent from Khloe's shop during the fall months, they begin to learn that love can only truly blossom when you trust your heart.

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Connie typed anxiously on her keyboard, looking up from her cubicle every few seconds, waiting for Sharon from Khloe’s Flower Shop to come through the glass entryway doors. She had checked her email first thing that morning, and like always, once a week, there was a confirmation about her order.

Dear Connie Albright,

Your order to CONNIE ALBRIGHT has been created by one of our team members and is on its way to the recipient.

If you have any questions, comments, or complaints, please call Khloe Harper at 1-800-555-1212.

As always, I wish you a bouquet of happiness! Khloe Harper

Owner of Khloe’s Flower Shop

With a sigh, Connie looked back down at her keyboard and continued entering patients’ data into the Excel spreadsheet. Six years ago, to pay for her college education, she had started the medical data entry job, where she found mundane tasks enjoyable, and had been looking forward to making new friends. However, these days, she was now a college graduate with a degree in marketing who hated her job, finding it boring and repetitive, nor had she made friends with any of her co-workers. In fact, they barely noticed her.

Compared to the thin, sexy bombshells she worked with, Connie wasn’t anyone to be desired. She was tall, frumpy, wore glasses, and, thanks to a conversation she overheard, was known in the office as “the ugly girl who wore tacky sweaters.” With the exception of a few that her grandmother had sent her for her birthday, having crocheted each one, Connie didn’t think the sweaters were tacky.

So, after hearing enough of what was being said behind her back, and after complaining to her best friend—her diary—she came up with an idea to change things, and, so far, it seemed to have worked like magic.

“Connie!” Mia, the office receptionist, squealed. “They’re here!”

With a slight pause to get ready for the weekly act she performed, Connie popped up from her chair and watched Sharon approach. After signing her name to the page on the clipboard, she gave Sharon, the only other person besides Khloe who knew her secret, a quick nod.

Suddenly, Connie found herself in the center of a circle of women hovering over her desk, eagerly waiting for her to read the card that came with the bouquet.

“Well, what does it say?” asked a co-worker.

“Yeah, come on. Tell us,” begged another.

She took in the moment, wishing she had a real man who would say the things she had written to herself. “Your beauty captures me more each day, and my love for you grows each time I touch you. I’m looking forward to this weekend...in bed! Walt.”

Holding the card close to her chest, Connie forced tears from her eyes, forcing herself to blush in front of her co-workers. “Oh, I love that man so very much.”

“Seriously, that has to be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Mia said, dramatizing her voice and placing her hands on her chest. “Oh, Connie, you’re so lucky to have a man like him.”

“Yeah, Con, that’s cute,” began Nicola, the bitchiest of them all. “But the last time I got flowers, just yesterday as a matter of fact, they certainly weren’t carnations,” she joked, motioning her hand like she was shooing the flowers away from her. All the co-workers joined in her laughter, and then shuffled back to their desks.

Connie looked at her flowers and smiled, her feathers not ruffled by Nicola’s comment. She felt accomplished and desired. For a few moments, she’d been the center of attention of a group of women who she knew despised her. Even back in high school, she had been a female nerd, which crossed her out from being friends with the beautiful and popular girls, and in college it was pretty much the same story. It’s not that she didn’t try to make an effort, because she did, but after failing time and time again, whether it be at orientation, working together in groups for school projects, or the few times Connie went to a pub near the university in hopes of meeting up with a few girls who she thought she could be friends with, it never worked. They either laughed in her face, said that the empty seat next to them was already taken (when it really wasn’t), or simply ignored her.

Though it was beginning to get expensive and difficult to keep the lies about Walt straight, Connie had no other choice but to continue the weekly charade.

It’s just the right thing to do!, she told herself, taking a seat in her chair before continuing to enter the endless data, while thinking of what Walt’s card would say the following week.

Who Should Play the Main Characters in CARDS FROM KHLOE’S FLOWER SHOP

Khloe Harper, (Amy Adams): Not only is Amy beautiful, but she also seems smart, is a hard-working actress. I’ve seen her on TV interviews, and she also appears to be fun and loving. Similar to Khloe, Amy seems a bit mysterious and can be very sultry and sexy when she wants to.

Derek Thomas, (Josh Duhamel): Josh Duhamel…the name should stand for itself! Seriously, he’s darn sexy. While he’s married to Fergie since he’s become a father, it’s easy to see that he makes for a great father, (no spoilers, but Derek is a family man).

Gabriella “Gabby” Lewis, (Blythe Danner): I’ve always loved Blythe, so when I was writing Gabby’s character, I instantly imagined her. Blythe, like Gabby, is very nurturing. While both of them are widows, they were madly in love with their husbands. Also, family is both very important to them.

Harry Hoffman, (John Mahoney): Who else is more lovable than the man who played the dad on “Fraiser”? I enjoyed writing Harry’s character, along with the rest of his family. Being a widow himself, I wanted his interaction with Gabby to be tender and sweet—even relatable to some.

Connie Albright, (Mayim Bialik): One of my favorite things about this book is Connie’s story. My main message was that not everyone is beautiful on the outside, but can be on the inside. With that being said, I’m a huge fan of “The Big Bang Theory,” and Connie’s character is based on Amy Farrah Fowler. They’re both awkward, yet smart; too accepting and are sometime willing to put up with so much—that is until they can only take so much of it. Not only do I want people to give Connie’s character a change, but I also hope they see a bit of themselves in her, too.

Walt Goldman, (Adam Levine): The main part of why I thought of Adam Levine for this character is that he’s pretty much Mayim’s opposite—smokin’ hot! However, what I mainly wanted to write this book was that just because Walt can appear the type to be the hot guy (who can act like a jerk, and not one to take a second look at a woman like Connie), he’s not. I hope the readers see that they can balance one another out.

**To see more on my vision of “Cards From Khloe’s Flower Shop” visit its Pinterest board!

  

Isabella grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. She focuses her time on featuring other writers on her blog, Chick Lit Goddess, along with organizing Goddess Book Tours, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America

She lives in Dallas with her husband, enjoys spicy Mexican food, margaritas, gin on the rocks (with a splash of lime). She loves spending time with family and friends and cheering on the Texas Rangers. Not only is Isabella an author, she’s also a Scentsy consultant and hoarder.

Isabella is the author of The Right Design and Cards From Khloe’s Flower Shop. Her short story, “Meet Me Under the Mistletoe,” was featured in Simon & Fig’s Christmas anthology, Merry & Bright. She’s currently working on another book.

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