Bed of Roses (by Gemma Brocato) Top Ten- 4/9/2015

I'm hosting the truly lovely Gemma Brocato today to celebrate her new release Bed of Roses. Since her story centers around a single woman suddenly becoming a teenage girl's guardian, I thought this "Top Ten" would give us a great insight into her heroine's personality. So, tell us, Gemma, what are Malin's Top Ten adjustments to living with a teen?

Hi, Carolyn. Thanks so much for having me over today. You’ve certainly challenged me with listing only ten adjustments that the main character in Bed Of Roses has to make when a teenager suddenly moves into her home.

Set-Up

In Bed Of Roses, Malin Eckert’s mother, Harriet, abandoned Mal at the age of 12. And in the twenty years since Harriet left, Mal hasn’t had any contact with her. Now, her mother has died in a drunk driving accident and Mal is stunned to find out that Harriet remarried and started a whole new family. In a karmic twist of fate, Mal is named as guardian of the Harriet’s other daughter, 15 year-old, Gaby. You know there is going to have to be a lot of adjusting going on. Here’s Mal’s Top Ten List:

1. Mal’s used to living alone. She gets into the bathroom when she wants, no waiting. Suddenly, she’s living with a teen that likes to take long showers and hog the bath to herself. Fortunately, Mal is easy and just goes with the flow on this one.
   
2. Gaby slams doors. It doesn’t seem like a big thing, but it sets Mal on edge. No one likes the angry sound of a banging door.
   
3. Oh, the teenage moods. Happy one minute, morose the next. It’s like watching a tennis match.
   
4. Gaby cut classes on her first day at the new school in Granite Pointe. Mal never skipped school and is shocked when she learns that Gaby has. Thank goodness for Gunnar finding Gaby and taking care of her. 
   
5. Mal isn’t used to worrying about where anyone is at any time. Well, except for her dad when he’s drinking. And she certainly never has to check in with anyone when she goes somewhere. Now, suddenly, she has a roommate who might need to know where she is and how to reach her. It doesn’t help that Mal forgot to provide Gaby with a spare key or get Gaby’s cellphone number. Just another adjustment.
   
6. Gaby interrupts Mal and Gunnar in an intimate moment. Whoo boy! That’s an eye-opener. Because Mal now has an impressionable teen living under her roof, spontaneity evaporates. Even necking on the living room couch can lead to awkward moments.
   
7. Who the heck knows what a teenager likes to eat? Certainly not Mal. 
   
8. Until she can move Gaby to a new school, Mal has to drive the girl into Boston every day. That’s two hours (30 minutes in traffic each way, twice a day) out of Mal’s day to deliver and then pick her back up. For which, the teen really never expresses her appreciation. In fact, she actually complains to Mal when she’s late picking her up on day. If you’ve ever driven teens anywhere, you know what I’m saying.
   
9. Gaby’s lived a life of privilege so far. She never wanted for anything and certainly never ate leftovers. Because of her dad’s alcoholism, Mal learned to cook, clean and basically fend for herself before she ever turned 13. She certainly doesn’t want to wait on Gaby hand and foot like the girl seems to think she deserves.
   
10. The hardest thing for Mal to adjust to seeing the mother she thought had forgotten about her through the eyes of her sister. Each revelation of things that Harriet kept track of serves to defrost Mal’s heart where her mother is concerned. 
    

One of my favorite aspects of this story was watching the relationship between the two sisters flower and develop. A woman raising a child from birth has a long-standing relationship with teenage that serves them during those difficult years. Mal had to learn quickly what it is to raise and guide a teen. She isn’t always certain she is up to the task. But when push comes to shove, she doesn’t want to lose her new sister. I hope your readers will enjoy the story and the relationship between Mal and Gaby as much as I have. 

Thanks again for having me over today, Carolyn. I really enjoyed it.

Any time, Gemma! I love your Five Senses series, the premise of it, and your true-to-life heroines. For excerpts and links, read on!

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Book Title: Bed of Roses (A Five Senses Novel) Author: Gemma Brocato Genre: Contemporary Romance Release Date: April 7, 2015 Hosted by: Book Enthusiast Promotions

Bed of Roses Book #4 - The Five Senses Series

This close to Valentine’s Day Malin Eckert’s flower shop is entering their busiest season. As if the added work isn’t enough, her father’s drinking has spiraled out of control and Mal discovers she’s been named guardian of a fifteen-year-old sibling she never knew about. To make matters worse, Mal’s crushing on a customer, a serial dater who drops by the shop with alarming regularity to send flowers to other women. Gunnar Sims never had the best luck with women, a fact that doesn’t stop his growing attraction to his florist. His new business is losing money and he should be concentrating on that, but instead finds Mal an enticing distraction. In spite of her best intentions to keep Gunnar firmly in the friend zone, Mal finds herself falling for the classically handsome gym owner. As her affection for Gunnar and her sister, Gabriella, grows, Mal’s heart hangs in the balance when it appears both could be taken away from her. Content Warning: Hard bodies, spoiled princesses, and a levelheaded woman who know how to smell the roses.

After a two minute warm-up she upped the speed and incline on her machine. She increased the sound level of her music to match. The volume hit earsplitting range when she entered the final quarter hour of her ninety-minute workout. Her quads and glutes burned, accompanied by the screaming of her shoulders and arms. Thanks to the pain that drove away any residual anxiety about Gaby moving in, she put this workout in the win column. The teen had run on a treadmill for forty-five minutes then moved to the weights. After a quick scan of the weight floor, she located Gaby on an abdominal crunch machine below. Mal upped the resistance on the elliptical trainer once more. Gripping the handles, she dug deeper. And nearly jumped out of her skin as someone waved their hand in front of her face. Stumbling out of one of the footpads, she pitched forward, rescued at the last minute when Gunnar Sims grasped her upper arm and jerked her upright. Slapping her hand on the stop button, she shut down the machine. She jerked her ear buds out. “Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.” He grinned at her, the apology turning his Nordic blue eyes the color of an Arizona sky. “My fault. I was zoned out. Thinking.” She snagged the towel draped over her water bottle and mopped her face. It shouldn’t matter that her friend saw her with her hair plastered to her face and sweat streaming down her neck like a fast moving creek. But it did. There he stood, looking better than Chris Hemsworth, all Thor-like and drool-worthy. His green shirt accented his blond hair and added color to his cheeks. It also stretched so nicely across his chest, her fingers itched to touch. Dammit, men were not supposed to be that handsome when in the presence of sweaty women. Even the light scruff on his face looked delicious. The urge to test how it felt on her cheek replaced the destructive tension that had driven her to the gym in the first place. But replacing one vice with another wasn’t a good idea. Only her liver would be hurt if she drank. Getting involved with Gunnar Sims guaranteed a broken heart. He consulted the electronic display on her machine, his eyebrows lifting. “You’ve been at it for a long time. Were you atoning for some sinful food indulgence?” He handed her the water bottle. Sinful thoughts, more like. She dragged her mind out of the gutter. “No carbs today. Just using my time on the machine to work out some issues.”

Gemma's favorite desk accessories for many years were a circular wooden token, better known as a 'round tuit,' and a slip of paper from a fortune cookie proclaiming her a lover of words; some day she'd write a book. All it took was a transfer to the United Kingdom, the lovely English springtime, and a huge dose of homesickness to write her first novel. Once it was completed and sent off with a kiss, even the rejections addressed to 'Dear Author' were gratifying.

After returning to America, she spent a number of years as a copywriter, dedicating her skills to making insurance and the agents who sell them sound sexy. Eventually, her full-time job as a writer interfered with her desire to be a writer full-time and she left the world of financial products behind to pursue a career as a romance author. Gemma focuses mainly on contemporary romance, with an occasional detour into science fiction romance. Her titles are available in digital and print-on-demand at all major retailers.

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