Armed with a new lead pertaining to known criminal spook, Alexis Guthrie, Grant enlists Juliet to aid the investigation which ends up at the door of her neighbor, Adam Trudeau. This investment banker neighbor of hers seems harmless enough despite his annoying interest in Juliet. Will this turn of events only usher in more dangerous or even deadly situations for the duo? Can Grant allow Juliet into his heart and keep her safe from the danger looming in the distance?
Reviews for NovelTea Next Door
"Although part of a series, this book can stand alone. Ms Green leaves the ending open for the next book; however, she does wrap it up enough for the reader to find satisfactory closure."
"She creates a great ‘gum shoe’ atmosphere without rendering the story dated, creating a modern hero with a twist. Juliet and Grant are fascinating in their interaction with each other and complement each other beautifully. A very human character, with a slight rough edge to him Grant is a great hero with a deep attraction to Juliet- slightly naive with a hint of prudishness. I was drawn into their relationship which develops alongside the mystery. This isn’t a roller coaster ride of suspense, it has a slower, steadier pace, yet remains engaging throughout. The romantic elements of the plot are tightly drawn with a faster pace than the mystery. I thoroughly enjoyed it and wanted to rush out and buy the previous book in the series."
"The book is written in the first person from Grant’s POV. This may put some readers off but I didn’t struggle with it at all. I think Ms Green pulls it off successfully and it enhances the reader’s involvement rather than detracting from the story. I can’t wait for the next one in the series."
"Overall, a very successful ‘sweet mini’ and definitely worth a read." - From WRDF (Writers and Readers of Distinctive Fiction) – a Black Seal – Fantastic Stays on Shelf.
Read an excerpt from NovelTea Next Door
Visit Cindy K. Green's web site
About Cindy K. Green
Cindy K. Green is a multi-published author with degrees in History and Education. Born in California, she now resides in North Carolina with her husband and two young sons. Growing up, she loved reading and writing, but her heart always lay in teaching. After graduating from college with a degree in history, Cindy taught Jr. High for four years in just about every subject. After the birth of her second child, she was able to stay home and focus on her writing as well as homeschool her children. In her spare time, she loves reading, photography, scrapbooking, Period Dramas, and spending time with family. Cindy writes in several genres including: Inspirational, Contemporary, Suspense, Young Adult, Fantasy and Historical. Find out more about Cindy and her books at www.cindykgreen.com.
Backlist:
The Spirit of Christmas (By Grace Publishing, Contemporary)
A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding (The Wild Rose Press, Inspirational)
A Night of NovelTea (The Wild Rose Press, Romantic Suspense)
A Hint of Summer (Moonlit Romance, Contemporary)
Winter Wonders (By Grace Publishing, Contemporary)
Meeting Mr. Right Online (By Grace Publishing, Chicklit).
A note from Cindy...
Join Cindy’s newletter. Email her at newsletter@cindykgreen.com and ask to be added.
An Interview with Cindy K. Green
By Holly Hewson for The Romance Studio
HH: Cindy, thank you for talking with us at TRS. Please tell us about your featured book, NovelTea Next Door. CG: NovelTea Next Door is book 2 in my NovelTea series. It continues the events which were started in my short story, A Night of NovelTea. This time the POV character is my government agent, Grant Gerard, and it is told completely in first person. I’ve been told by readers it reminds them of the old ‘gum-shoe’ detective novels but brought up to date. NovelTea is a bit romantic suspense, a bit romantic comedy and a whole lot of fun. It is a world of spies and intrigue in which my heroine, Juliet Truesdale, knows nothing about. She is the Everyman character, learning to navigate in this environment that is second nature to our hero, Grant. In this second book, Juliet and Grant are working together on a case, involving Juliet’s neighbor who may be involved with a known international criminal. This neighbor has a huge crush on Juliet much to Grant’s chagrin. There’s a lot of undercover work, surveillance, lessons in pick-pocketing and even some hand to hand fist fighting in this second addition to the series.
HH: This is the second book in your NovelTea Series. Where did you get the idea for this series? CG: The idea came from wanting to write something…anything…as I was editing my full-length Inspirational (A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to Your Wedding) at the time. I love romantic suspense and thought of a ‘what if’ scenario. What if…a young woman bookseller was brought into the world a spies and secret agents? What would happen? How would she react? Voilà! NovelTea was born. There were several influences on me when I wrote the first one. I’d just watched a ton of ‘24’ episodes which brought in a bit of the suspense. I’d also just read a couple chicklit novels which set the humorous tone and as I’d also just finished reading Jane Austen’s Persuasion – that added the literary references.
HH: What can you tell us about the first book, A Night of NovelTea. CG: The first story comes from Juliet’s POV in first person. I wrote it pantser style which worked very well as my heroine had no idea what was coming next and neither had I. Juliet has a Master’s degree in literature and works her parent’s bookstore/tea shop, NovelTea Books. She feels life is passing her by and yearns for a bit of excitement. Enter the handsome, mysterious stranger who enters the shop, lays a magical kiss on her and makes a hand-off while covertly asking her to meet him later. What can she do but meet up with him and find out what this is all about. Little does she know what harrowing and comedic events lay in wake for the both of them.
HH: How does this story continue the series? CG: Number one ends in a terrific way for the characters but not in any kind of declaration or finality. However, it does open the door for further adventures with Juliet assisting their agency as needed. When Grant discovers that the man they have under surveillance is Juliet’s next door neighbor, it only made sense that he go undercover as her brother and stay in her apartment until they can bring this case to a close. It delves deeper into the characters—especially Grant—and allows for their relationship to grow.
HH: What can you tell us about the rest of the series to come? CG: I’ve just started work on the third book of the series, NovelTea Takes a Holiday, and I am very excited about it. The POV character switches back to Juliet, but this time the tone will flow like a cozy murder mystery. Imagine a Miss Marple story set in 2008. The location is a small island within the Albemarle Sound along the Outer Banks of North Carolina. Juliet is vacationing with her aunt. She has a lot of decisions to make. Can she see a future with this man who lives such a dangerous life. Is that what she wants? The Outer Banks is a great setting—there are a lot of mysterious/paranormal happenings out there and that will play into the story. There is a plot string which will continue from book 2 and on into book number 4 as well.
HH: What did you like best about Grant? CG: Grant is a great character. He’s cocky; yet he has insecurities which he keeps buried very deep. His confidence, icy blue eyes and characteristic smile make him very sexy and likable. He’s multifaceted. For instance, he’s a hardened government agent and yet he reads Jane Austen. He’s an Alpha male and yet he’s not one to push his desires on anyone. For example, he doesn’t try to overly protect Juliet when she’s going to be put into danger. He doesn’t fight her over it. If she’s in, then so is he. However, he will make darned sure nothing happens to her.
HH: What else do you have in store for lucky readers? CG: This September I had a new Inspirational release with The Wild Rose Press called Relationship Rescue. It is a story about second chances. Even after Mitchell Regan and Robynn Hartley broke off their engagement, they remained civil and friendly. They even attend the same church, but friends of theirs know that deep down inside they are both hurting and unhappy. They decide it is time for a relationship rescue.
Later this year, also from The Wild Rose Press, I’ll have my first historical release, Dilemma of the Heart. This is a post-Civil War story set in a small town outside of Philadelphia. Cassandra Huddleston must decide if she can forget the man who’s held her heart her entire life, though he’s been reported as killed in action, and marry a new, rich suitor.
HH: What's your favorite thing about being an author? CG: I always wanted to be an author—ever since I was a kid, but what it really comes down to is creating good stories to read. That’s the reason I started writing in the first place. It isn’t about becoming a successful NYT Best Selling author; it’s about creating the stories of our hearts. I love having that creative outlet to bring those stories in my head to life.
HH: What do you enjoy reading? CG: I read just about every genre except horror and erotica. My favorites are suspense and historical, but I also read lots of inspirational titles, contemporary romance, chicklit, mainstream fantasy and young adult novels too. Being a trained historian and past history teacher, I also keep up on historical journals and non-fiction history books.
HH: What's your favorite way to interact with readers? CG: I love to receive personal emails from readers, and I always write back. But it is also fun to interact with them at loop and live chats. Feel free to email me at cindy@cindykgreen.com. Stop by my website at www.cindykgreen.com.
HH: Thank you!
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