Daring to Fall
Hidden Falls #2
Hidden Falls #2
By: T.J. Kline
Releasing January 17, 2017
Avon Impulse
Avon Impulse
Synopsis:
T.J. Kline returns to Hidden Falls with the sweet and fun story of a small-town firefighter and the stubborn woman who refuses to fall for his charms.
Emma Jordan has returned home after her father’s death to run the animal sanctuary that had been his legacy. But strange things start happening, and it seems that someone is out to shut her down, someone who doesn’t mind putting lives in jeopardy to see it through. When Hidden Falls’ sexiest fireman starts to ask questions, Emma needs to make sure his charm doesn’t distract her from keeping her dreams alive.
Ben McQuaid has an obligation as a local fireman to protect the community, even from a well-meaning wildlife veterinarian who’s in way over her head. But, it’s becoming hard to keep his loyalty to the town and his desire for the pretty vet separate. As Ben and Emma become caught in a dangerous game of cat and mouse, their feelings for each other are growing.
Will they let duty drive them apart or will they dare to fall?
“Hey, Ben, I have a favor to ask.”
Ben McQuaid rolled his eyes skyward. Of course, his brother Andrew needed another favor. Lately, Ben seemed to be the one doing the favors more often than receiving any. But, that’s what brothers did for one another, right? And with six siblings, most of them younger, that added up to be a lot of favors.
“Make it quick, I’m on my way into the fire station for my shift.”
“Good, because this is more of an official call than a favor anyway. I need you to head down to the Quinn place on Mosquito Road. Apparently, there’s a cat stuck in a tree. It seems stupid to call it in to the firehouse and drag the engine out for a cat. See? I’m actually doing you a favor and saving you all that cleaning and polishing you have to do just for driving a truck out of the garage.”
They’d be cleaning the engine anyway. Plus, without an engine, Ben had no ladder to get up the tree. “So, what you’re suggesting is that I shimmy up the tree the way I did when we were ten to get the football you and Grant would get stuck.”
This was a completely different kind of read for me. This had the cliche start of having Ben who is a firefighter, save a kitten from a tree. I quite literally laughed out loud when I read this scene. The author takes a cliche scene and creates a fun loving and slow building romance. He takes this rescued kitten to the animal shelter and it is love at first sight. Ben is completely enamored with Emma. Emma has just taken over the shelter and is only here because of her fathers legacy needing her help. But the town is not thrilled over this and makes it even more challenging than necessary for her. It gets even worse when certain people want to make her look incapable of doing her job...or anything at all for that matter. Emma's character is strong and determined though, so she isn't so easily swayed. But she is in need of help due to the threats. This is where Ben comes in. And, because Ben is already head-over-heels for Emma, add on her love for animals, and her need for help because of the threats...and Ben is taking on risks he normally wouldn't. I'm not a fan of "small town" settings...mainly because it seems everyone always says "I'm from a small town..." But, it was a great setting for this story. It wouldn't have worked any other way. I really did enjoy this book and am looking forward to not only reading the others in this series but more from this author.
Link to Follow Tour: http://tastybooktours.com/tours-master/2016/12/12/daring-to-fall-hidden-falls-2-by-tj-kline
Goodreads Series Link https://www.goodreads.com/series/181009-hidden-falls
Author Info
T. J. Kline was bitten by the horse bug early and began training horses at fourteen—as well as competing in rodeos and winning several rodeo queen competitions—but has always known writing was her first love. She also writes under the name Tina Klinesmith. In her spare time, she can be found spending as many hours as possible laughing hysterically with her husband, teens, and their menagerie of pets in Northern California. That is, when she isn't running around the California Gold Country researching new stories.
Q&A with T.J. Kline
Q: Can you tell us a little about your book?
DARING TO FALL is the second in the Hidden Falls series. It’s a small-town, family saga following the McQuaid family, all seven siblings. This story centers around Ben McQuaid, the second oldest, a Hidden Falls firefighter who finds himself torn between his duty to protecting the town and his desire to protect a woman who might be threatened by the people of Hidden Falls. Emma Jordan, on the other hand, is returning to Hidden Falls and her father’s wildlife rescue, after his sudden death, to find that not everyone is excited about her return, or the fact that she’s taking over the sanctuary.
Q: How did you come up with the concept and the characters for the story?
With the Hidden Falls series, I knew I wanted a family saga but I wanted a diverse family unit that, at first glance, seemed so complex they couldn’t possibly be as close as they are. The McQuaids were born. Ben has always been the “responsible” guy, the Jiminy Cricket to the rest of his brothers, and exactly the kind of guy who does you expect of a small-town hero. He needed a woman who would appreciate those aspects of him, even if it meant fighting her attraction to them.
Emma Jordan sort of created herself. The same things that draw her to Ben, frighten her and, oddly enough, are the same things putting her into the predicament she finds herself in. She’s tenacious, loyal and a hero in her own right. Determined to save others who can’t save themselves. However, the idea for an animal sanctuary came because, in spite of all my ambitions to be a writer when I was young, this was the other job I wanted to have – saving (or training) wild animals.
Q: What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
I loved the research for this book. As a kid, I spent hours reading about a wide variety of animals, sure that one day that information would serve me. It did, in DARING TO FALL. I would spend one day researching bobcats and the next figuring out exactly which type of dart gun and dosage of medication should be used. Not to mention that I was able to reach out to wildlife rescues, trainers and fireman. What could be better than that?
Q: What gave you the most trouble with this story?
Staying concentrated on the external conflict of their situation. I had a hard time with these two characters not wanting to keep their hands off one another. They have a great chemistry – it burns hot but both have reasons to hold back – and it meshed together well to create a very “real” couple with ups and downs. Unfortunately, if I’d left them to their own devices, I’m not sure the animals would have ever gotten fed.
Q: Name one thing you won’t leave home without.
Easy! My cell phone. I live on it. I made sure the last time I upgraded that I purchased one that would serve me, and my writing, on the go. I do everything from it – reading, emails, texts, appointments, even writing. I can even set my home alarm from it. I even use it to set up playlists for while I’m driving. I’d be lost without it (which is why it has frequent backups!)
Q: What do you like best about being a writer? What is the most challenging part?
The best? The fact that, most days, I don’t even have to brush my teeth if I don’t want to. I do, every day, I swear! But I don’t HAVE to. I have the freedom to style my hair or not, wear PJs all day or dress up. I can set a doctor’s appointment whenever I want to rather than in limited “free” time. I work around vacations and trips, around my kids’ schedules and when I want to. Being a writer has given me more freedom than any job I could ever imagine.
The most challenging? The freedom. When you don’t HAVE to do anything, you have to be self-disciplined to still get up every day and do what needs to be done. There are times, under deadline, when I’ve planned poorly and forgo a trip to the movies. Or, even more difficult, when I’m not under deadline to actually sit in the office chair and put words on the page knowing no one is keeping tabs and I have an entire season of Hart of Dixie waiting for me on my DVR.
Q: What do you do when you are not writing?
When I’m not writing, you can either find me hanging out with my husband and kids (two- and four-legged). If I’m not out working with my horses – is it work if it’s something you LOVE to do? – the family loves being outdoors. We’ll take off and go to the beach for the day, hiking in the mountains, or playing in the snow. Living in California, we can pick from all three, in the same week even, and I’ll be taking pictures the entire way. If weather doesn’t permit, you can find us watching movies together with popcorn, pizza, candy and sodas.
Q: Do you have any advice to give to aspiring writers?
Be prepared for the “real” life of writing. It’s not all fun and games, pajamas and book signings. Most days, it’s ugly, hard, gut-wrenching work. You will doubt yourself, listen to people rip your work apart and feel like you are crazy for attempting to make this your life. It’s okay…we all live there. It doesn’t matter whether you’ve written one book or nearly twenty, writing is always hard work. But, as I said earlier, is it really work if it’s something you love to do? Never give up on what you love to do, whether it’s writing, painting, acting, debate, mathematics, history, woodworking…do what you love and it will show in the results.
Website: http://www.writertjkline.com/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WriterTJKline
Twitter: https://twitter.com/WriterTJKline
GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/7379969.T_J_Kline 
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