Today we have a new release from Laurel Osterkamp - THE SIDE PROJECT. Laurel is a fellow Wild Rose Press author and her new book released on November 13, 2024. THE SIDE PROJECT is a small town/new adult romance with second chance at love vibes. Welcome Laurel!
Blurb:
Rylee dreams of moving to California, writing literary fiction, and pursuing her late father’s dreams. But she’s still in Bemidji, MN, caring for her younger brother and running into her high school crush, Carson.
Ten years ago, Carson rejected Rylee and she never quite recovered. Carson had his sights set on the Ivy League, until his girlfriend’s unexpected pregnancy. Being a single father is the most important job he’ll ever have, even if it means postponing his dreams.
Rylee is shocked to discover she and Carson enrolled in the same fiction writing graduate course. They become writing partners, but also take on a secret “side project”–a no-strings-fling that will end once the class is over. Because they can’t fall in love. Hearts would be broken and secrets would get revealed.
Should Rylee and Carson risk everything to find their happily-ever-after?
Excerpt:
I nudge his ankle with my sneaker’s rubber toe. “Try me.”
Rolling his eyes skyward, he asks, “Did you ever read The Majestic Seven? That fantasy about the seven heroes who must save their kingdom?”
“No,” I reply. “But I’ve heard of it. Why?”
Carson’s cheeks turn the slightest bit pink. “I was thinking how you’re like Lady Seraphina.”
My hands fly to either side of my face. “It’s because of my pointy ears, right?”
“What? No.” He blinks in confusion. “Why would you make that connection?”
“Because I saw the trailer for the movie adaptation, and the only female character is an elf. The tips of her ears are like razors.”
“No!” Carson swallows a laugh. “God, no, that’s not what I meant.”
I look him up and down. “Well, what did you mean?”
His voice sounds like a worn vinyl record, smooth in the center but scratched at the edges. “You’re the type of girl who could save the world.”
“You mean ‘woman’ and not ‘girl,’ right?”
“Of course. Sorry.” He releases a self-conscious chuckle. “You’re the kind of woman who could save the world. One hundred percent.”
“Thank you.” Then, feeling that magnetic pull, I drop my gaze to the ground.
He hits his forehead. “God. I’m such an idiot. I promised I’d be professional today, and I’ve already blown it, haven’t I?”
I search for a response. Thankfully, Ferris runs up to me, and I busy myself with petting him. “It’s fine. But I don’t understand. Why would I lose all respect for you?”
“Because you’ll realize I like fantasy novels.”
Kneeling down, I let Ferris nuzzle my shoulder. “Please. As if I didn’t already know? Remember how in high school, you’d check out The Prince of Saturn and slide it into your backpack before anyone could see?”
Carson raises an eyebrow. “Except for you.”
I notice a renegade leaf on my shoulder and brush it off. “That’s right. Because I was also always in the media center after lunch, most likely checking out some gothic romance, which is way more looked down upon than science fiction or fantasy.”
“Yeah, but you weren’t on the hockey team.” He smirks. “If the other players knew about my reading habits, they’d have kicked my ass.”
“So, you tried to pretend you weren’t smart? How’d that work out for you, college boy?”
He opens his mouth to respond but laughs instead. “Hey, you mentioned gothic romance, and that reminds me. I dug your story. A contemporary Charlotte Brontë! It was so original. I don’t have very many revision notes for you, because the story flowed. And I’m worried that if you rework it a lot, you’ll lose that.”
“Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. I liked your story too, and not just because you liked mine.” Shifting my weight, I say, “Should we go inside and get to work?”
He nods. “Yeah. Let’s do that. Follow me.”
At this moment, I’d be happy to follow him anywhere.
Universal Buy Links:
Author Bio:
Laurel Osterkamp is the award-winning author of roughly a dozen novels, including Favorite Daughters and the #1 Amazon bestseller, Beautiful Little Furies. In addition to her novels, she has short fiction published in literary journals all over the web. When she's not writing (which is rare) she's often teaching adult ESL or middle school enrichment classes, going running while listening to audiobooks, or educating her daughter about the OG teen soap opera, Beverly Hills 90210. She lives in Minneapolis with a family who loves to argue, and their cats, who love to hiss at each other. Ramona Quimby is her spirit animal. Follow her on Instagram @laurel_osterkamp, or subscribe to her newsletter at laurellit dot com.
Social Media Links:
Website - LaurelLit.com
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/laurel_osterkamp/#
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