In November 2019, my husband, Brian, and I spent a glorious
week on the Hawaiian island of Kauai. We had previously visited Maui and the
Big Island but this time we were looking to vacation at a slower pace. Brian
has worked in law enforcement for 25 years and early in 2019 he received a big
promotion, which brought plenty of new responsibilities and stress. Feeling
drained, we needed a place to rest, and we found one!
Kauai, known as the Garden Isle, is
famous for its abundance of tropical flowers. The oldest of the main Hawaiian
Islands, Kauai is also the least commercially developed, a huge appeal to us.
Brian and I have travelled extensively and usually try to wring every second
out of our trips. We want to see and experience as much as possible, so we go,
go, go until we leave! When we visited Kauai, the items on our agenda all began
with the letter “R”. Rest. Relax. Rejuvenate. Reconnect.
We rented a car but hardly used it.
We perused tourist brochures tempting us to take a helicopter flight, a dinner
cruise, or zipline over the rainforest. We passed on all that. We stayed at the
Islander on the Beach, a small, affordable resort in the town of Kapa’a that we
booked through Airbnb. The space was perfect. We had a
direct view of the beach from the bedroom and living area, with a balcony
stretching the length of our condo. A couple of days during our stay, we only
ventured out to eat a meal, then it was right back to our newfound happy place.
After catching up on our sleep, we
decided to take a leisurely drive to the end of the road on the northeast side
of the island. With quick stops at the Kilauea lighthouse, and to snap a few
pictures of the views, we turned around after a visit to Ha’ena Beach Park.
We took in the sunrise and sunset
every day on the beach, spent hours in the hot tub, did a little stargazing, and
worked our way through the happy hour menus at the tiki bar at our resort, the
Lava Lava Beach Club, and Coconuts Fish Café. Our favorite place to eat was
just a few paces from our condo, the Sleeping Giant Grill. They featured
amazing fried Ono fish wraps and bowls!
Before leaving the island, we went
for a drive up the west side of the island to see Waimea Canyon, known as the
Grand Canyon of the Pacific, and the Na Pali coast, which boasts some of the
world’s highest sea cliffs. On the way back, we dined at Brennecke’s Beach
Broiler, then visited Kilohana Plantation, where we attended an informative and
entertaining rum tasting at Koala Rum Company.
Brian and I have a tradition where we
take selfies at the beginning and ending of our vacations. We usually look
refreshed at the start and tired by the finish. But after a week in Kauai, we
looked as good as we felt. Ahh. Now that was a vacation!
***
Title: Lady for Christmas
Author/pen
name: JB Blevins
Genre: Romantic Comedy
Publisher: Amazon
Date of Publication: 11/22/19
ASIN: B081XB5YHH
ISBN: ISBN-10: 1710957891, ISBN-13: 978-1710957891
Number of pages: 240 (paperback)
Word Count: 67,000
Blurb:
Lady for Christmas is a
funny, relaxing read, perfect for getting into the spirit of the holidays or
taking a break and escaping them!
Leann Lance is a quirky,
overwhelmed young veterinarian who cares deeply for animals and people. With no
time to spend on her appearance and thoughts of dating on hold, she meets a
couple of enticing prospects at—where else? Her small animal clinic.
Handsome businessman Art
Dickenson races through life, hard-charging with little concern for
feelings—his own or anyone else’s. When his new cat seems ill, he finds himself
at odds with the fresh-faced yet frazzled Leann.
Judd Alexander, a handsome
soft-spoken chiropractor, brings his boxer, Bailey, to Doctor Lance’s office
and soon after, the two begin dating. His patience, down-to-earth values, and
chiseled physique rekindle her interest in men.
The three characters collide when
they end up in the same place in the middle of the night, each man vying for
the vet’s attention.
Leann’s wise-cracking, loyal, and
stylish bestie, Rita, drags her friend out of the dumpy doldrums into daring
dates with hilarious—and sometimes painful—results.
In the end, Leann learns to
balance work with fun and finds love in the place she least expected.
Buy links:
Excerpt:
When
Judd Alexander stood in the door, Leann waved him in. “Can you place Bailey on
the table for me?”
The
chiropractor pulled down on the hem of his black concert T-shirt before
crouching to lift the seventy-pound dog. Leann appreciated the strain of the
doctor’s substantial biceps against his short sleeves and the taut muscles in
his forearms.
She
stopped staring and addressed the dog. “Hey Bailey, how are you today? Ready to
get this cone off?”
The
Boxer gazed at her with sad eyes, her stump of a tail oscillating slowly.
Leann donned latex gloves and removed the cone.
“It looks great.” After removing the
stitches, she handed Doctor Alexander a tube of ointment. “She should be fine
but put a dab of this on every day for the next week to help avoid infection.” Leann
waited as the seconds ticked by and the man made no comment. This guy doesn’t have much to say.
Doctor
Alexander took the salve then pocketed it. He lowered Bailey to the floor then
shook Leann’s gloved hand awkwardly. “Thanks, Doctor Lance.”
“You can
call me Leann.”
Bailey
had already begun pulling him down the hall toward the front door. He stopped,
then turned to face Leann. “Only if you call me Judd.”
Well, well. Leann tossed her gloves in the trash.
She followed him to the front entrance, intending to lock the door, since it
was almost closing time and she had no other appointments.
“Have a
nice evening, Judd.” The glass door opened from the outside as someone held it
for him.
“You
too, Leann.”
After
Judd led Bailey out, Mr. BMW himself walked in. Leann noted the time. Two minutes before closing. Of course.
“Hello…Leann.
Is that your first name?”
She
glared at him. “He’s a doctor, Mr. Dickenson.” And we don’t need to be on a first-name basis, Mr. Cheapskate.
The man
thrust his hands in his pockets and offered a smile that did not reach his
eyes.
“Please call me Art, Doctor
Lance.”
Author bio:
I am a web content editor and writer, copy and content editor, an
active member of the Aliante Writer's Group in Las Vegas, Nevada, and have been
published in Christian Parenting Today. I've loved words ever since I learned
how to read.
Lady for Christmas is my first
novel.
My family is my pride and joy. I
have been married since 1987 and have three grown children, a daughter-in-law,
and a granddaughter in the making.
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