The Bluff (Graham Brothers, #2)(110)

Unless … I decide I’m tired of waiting and hoping and pining and decide to finally—FINALLY—go after what I want.





Don’t miss Chevy & Val’s story: The Pocket Pair.

Grab it HERE!





A NOTE FROM EMMA





Ahhhhh… another finished book!

While I do a lot of writing alone—or at a coffee shop or in the gym or somewhere public ignoring everyone else—I feel like it’s a joint effort.

Because I’m always thinking of YOU, reader.

Writing is a weird work in that way. Creative work is work … and it’s also play. It’s individual, yet in some ways, it feels collaborative.

I write knowing you’re going to be reading. I want the characters, the story, even the sentences and words to DELIGHT you. And I hope this book has done that.

I love James and Winnie. I had so much fun writing the two of them. Though I married a total cinnamon roll, I do love grumps.

As for some of the true or true-ish things in the book…

I had a blast going to the awards ceremony of the Texas Craft Brewers Conference and getting to wander around asking questions of the vendors.

And yes—it was a LOT OF FLANNEL. I exaggerated too, of course, but aspects of the conference were based in reality.

I give Brian of Hardywood Park Craft Brewery a nod in the acknowledgments, but he helped so much with a lot of information that didn’t make it onto the page (lest I put you to sleep) but was very helpful in thinking about the story and what James needed to do to start up his business.

For the record, I have nothing against clowns (teenage or otherwise) and also am wearing leggings as I type this, so no judgment there. Though I’m wary of multi-level marketing after joining like ten of them. (No kidding—pretty much the ONLY thing I haven’t tried selling is leggings.)

Though roller derby didn’t figure much into this book with Winnie’s background, I did play derby off and on for nine years, coaching when I was pregnant or recovering from babies. I miss those days! It’s an amazing sport, held together by the passion of the skaters, who basically have to treat it as a part-time job they pay to do.

I am not a poker ace like Winnie, though I love to play. (Eric and Lorin—miss poker at your place!) Each of the Sheet Cake books will have a poker game (or two) and a title that fits somehow thematically with the book itself.

One incident from this book that had a very real basis in my memory relates to King the turkey. When I was in high school, our church youth group had a breakfast before school. At Thanksgiving, we did turkey bowling (with frozen turkeys being hurled at cans of pumpkin stacked like bowling pins) and a REAL turkey given as a prize to the student who brought the most friends.

I REALLY wanted the turkey, but came in second place. In any case, at some point during breakfast, the turkey was set free and flew around the room, landing on tables and knocking over cereal and milk. We also put a hole in the wall with the frozen turkey bowling. Thanks for the inspiration, Pete Bowell (now of Hope Church in RVA).

Readers, thank you.

Thank you for making this job the best one ever. I appreciate all the support. With every book I launch, I have been so fortunate to have so many people cheering me along, reading, and sharing the love of these books.

I’d still write without you… but I wouldn’t enjoy it as much.

I can’t wait to get back to Sheet Cake with and write Val and Chevy’s story!

Grab that HERE!