It usually comes as a distress call. Six simple words that I zip to the woman who keeps me from looking like I’ve been hacked by a weed whacker. It goes something like this.
Me: “Zee hairs. Zey aire a dee-zas-taire.”
Poor Beth probably has no idea what book that’s from. Maybe you don’t, either. Hint: post-WWII, epistolary, fun cast of characters, impossibly long name, heartbreaking but oh, so inspiring story. I digress, though. You wanted Beth’s reply. It usually goes something like this:
Beth: Wednesday at 2:15?
Man, I love Beth. She, on the other hand, has a goal in life. It’s a simple one, but I fear she may be disappointed–that bucket list item that never gets checked off. What is it? To make my husband notice that she did something to my hair.
Why Romance Is a Hairy Proposition (or is that proposal?)
Look, my husband loves me. Far more than he should, actually. But as I told him before we got married, he said, “I do” so he’s stuck. (Okay, I said that if he SAID “I do” he’d be stuck, but you get the gist.
But here’s the deal. He’s not the most observant of men. In fact, I bet for the first ten years of our marriage, he couldn’t have told you what color my hair even is. I guarantee he couldn’t have told you how long it was.
Well, before I went to Beth that first time (over 15 years ago!), I let my hair grow out as much as I could stand. Then I went in and told her, “Do whatever you like but I want it to be obvious that I’m a woman from the back–nothing too short or masculine.”
That woman cut off six inches, gave it highlights and I think maybe dyed it a bit more honey-colored than it had been. My hair is a natural dark auburn. Lots of red in it but it doesn’t show that unless I’m in the sun. For the record, I’m never in the sun.
When she finished, she said something like… “Your husband isn’t going to know what hit him.”
I said, “He won’t notice.”
She didn’t believe me. Seriously, as my grandfather’s granddaughter, I should’ve placed a HEFTY bet on that one. I’d have won. Maybe free hair work for life even. Alas, not a fan of gambling, soooo I didn’t.
It’s been Beth’s mission to get him to notice ever since.
Now look, don’t get me wrong. If he KNOWS I went to get my hair cut, it’s entirely possible that he might say something like, “Hmmm… do something to your hair?” just to tease Beth. Yep, he knows about the non-bet. But otherwise… no.
I’ve considered a purple dye job or even jet black just to see if startling colors might get through. Alas, I don’t want to deal with what that might do to my hair. So… I sit here. And wait. And when it takes too long to be able to get into Beth’s… I go in the bathroom and hack it off myself.
And she still speaks to me. Frankly, I think she likes it when I do that because she knows it’s job security.
I don’t know what her problem is. It’s way better than it was back in the day when I cut my bangs perfectly straight like two inches above my eyebrows. Right?
So why am I telling you my hair-raising experiences?
No wait. That’s a little decade known as the eighties, isn’t it?
Well, today is Trust Fall’s release! YAY! I am so excited about this book. When I started planning out my Suamalie stories, one thing I knew I wanted to do was include an Agency Files book in it. I mean, how cool would it be for the West Coast Agency to send an agent to protect someone, without her knowledge, and without extracting her!?!? EEEP!
Well, something happened back in The Title Wave that got me going. It had to influence something in this book. It just had to! So when I changed out my title and my cover before I finished the first scene, I knew what would happen. After all, my original photo (the one in the image up there) had a woman with long hair. My opening scene had her pulling back that hair. But the new cover girl has short, loose curls. There had to be a reason.
And I knew that reason. I hope you’ll grab a copy (it’s on Kindle Unlimited!) and find out. It’s a fun scene.
Back to more on Trust Fall’s release.
Trust Fall by Chautona Havig
Protecting her without her knowledge might get them both killed.
Grief has held Eve “Kensi” Kensington captive long enough. Determined to move on after the death of her fiancé six years ago, Kensi moves to St. Alyn to help Ezra with the new boat book business. That there’s a great therapist on the island is just a bonus.
When the West Coast Agency learns that the former fiancée of a deceased informant is under the radar, Simon Garver is tasked to protect her—without her knowledge, if possible. Great. Listening in on her therapy sessions might be the worst thing he’s ever had to do as an agent.
Nope… scrap that. Falling for his client takes the cake.
When Kensi learns Simon has been keeping secrets from her, she’s done. Too bad the arrival of a guy sent to “take care of her” means she needs him. She’ll cooperate until she’s safe, toss the trust exercises her therapist has insisted on in the trash, and get back to her job on Ezra’s boat.
If only her heart would listen to the plan…
Take a trip to the Suamalie Islands where palm trees sway, the sand and sea pulse with life, and the people will steal your heart.
I hope you’ll check out each Suamalie author’s hair-raising story this week. Prizes and fun celebrating Trust Fall’s release await!
Be sure to head over to each author’s blog and read their stories as well as get your entries in for the Trust Fall’s release event on each one each day for the next week or so.
Chautona Havig: April 30
Heidi Gray McGill: May 1
Amanda Tru: May 2
Rachel Skatvold: May 3
Jennifer Pierce: May 4
Susan K Beatty: May 5
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