Knowing Nichelleby Tinsley Sellers
Publication date: August 16th, 2019
Genres: Adult, Contemporary, Romance
She’s just met the man of her dreams…but he’s not who he said he was. Neither is she. Until they get a second chance to make a first impression.
Is he a sophisticated big-city lawyer, or an easygoing small-town woodworker? And if she’s not a career-driven high-powered attorney, then who is she? Hiding behind their masks is second nature until circumstances force them to see beneath the surface and realize just how alike—and in love—they really are.
He’s only got one rule: no lawyers. She’s a lawyer.
Burned by experience, Buck’s got a rule for a reason. After walking away from a lucrative legal position, he found his peace in Beckley. Life on the farm is simple, and his woodworking business is thriving. He’s not interested in trading his work boots for wingtips and rejoining the rat race. So what if she’s the most compelling woman he’s ever met?
She’s only got one requirement: no a**holes. He’s an a**hole.
After a disastrous encounter in a trendy bar, Nichelle’s convinced that he’s an over-muscled a**hole. She’s got a sleek car, luxurious condo, and elegant designer clothes. Family comes first, and her legal career is on the fastest track. She’s never met a problem she couldn’t solve on her own. So what if he can see beneath her carefully constructed façade?
They’re perfect together. They just don’t know it yet.
Welcome back to Beckley, Michigan! Autumn is in the air and as the days get shorter, the air gets cooler and the calm lakes reflect the blue skies and red-gold trees for a double-dose of fall color. The people are just as warm, friendly, smart, funny, and real as you remember. When you need a place to call home, Beckley welcomes you—and sometimes the family you choose is as strong as the bonds you’re born with.
If you like small-town romance, you’ll like Beckley. If you like smart heroines who balance demanding professional careers with a commitment to family, friends, and finding love, then you’ll definitely like it here. If you like strong, sexy, hard-working heroes who have not-so-secret soft spots for kids, dogs, and classic cars, you may find that you never want to leave!
Knowing Nichelle is the third in the Beckley’s Daughters romance series. It can be read as a stand-alone story, but continuing readers will recognize many of the characters and locations. This series is recommended for adult readers and contains explicit language and intimate situations.
~AUTHOR INTERVIEW with Tinsley Sellers~
1) What gave you
the inspiration for the storyline?
Knowing Nichelle is the third book in my Beckley’s Daughters series. Nichelle first
appears in Book 1, Healing Heather, as Heather’s best friend. She was so
interesting; she really seemed to have everything together. She comes across as
a total problem-solver. I started to wonder if she was really as efficient as
she presented herself. What problems of her own wasn’t she as good at fixing?
And why?
Buck also shows up first in Healing
Heather in a best-friend role (and he’s kind of a fixer as well). He seems
low-key and a little disconnected, but I knew there was more to him. He really,
really surprised me with his depth.
I also love that the story’s timeline spans
both Books 1 and 2. Again, I started wondering what was happening with Nichelle
and Buck while nobody was paying attention. As it turns out, a lot was
going on!
The story stands alone, but if you have read
the previous two books, you will get some aha! moments where some small
detail for Heather (Book 1) or Aerin (Accepting Aerin, Book 2) has much
greater significance for Nichelle and Buck.
2) Are there any
hidden (or not so hidden) themes in the book that you hope readers will discover?
One of the strongest over-arching themes is
masks. The face you present to the world isn’t necessarily who you feel like
inside; game face is a cliché for a reason. It can be comfortable to let
people perceive you in a certain way; it gives you a safe set of responses. But
when someone really sees you, really knows you—it gets uncomfortable,
because it can be unpredictable. It’s so scary to let someone see the real you,
because you are giving them a loaded weapon and trusting them not to use it. And
I don’t just mean in romantic relationships, either. Forging new friendships
can be just as fraught with conflicting emotions.
And cake. There is a lot of cake in
this book. To be fair, all of my books are full of people cooking and sharing
meals, which is very symbolic. But cake? That’s a pretty good metaphor on a lot
of levels.
3) Are any of the
characters based on real people you know?
If you think you’re reading a real person, then
I’ll take that as a compliment that I’ve done my job in creating a character
that feels fully developed. But no. There are no straight-line correlations
between Character A and Real Person X (although one of my beta readers swears
that Buck is her ex-boyfriend). Of course, if one of my friends happens
to say something pithy or hilarious, I can’t promise that it won’t eventually
come out of one of my characters’ mouths.
4) Who has
influenced you most as a writer?
Late bloomers everywhere are my heroines. I
am a textbook late-bloomer, and I need all the examples I can get of people
whose lives have taken detours, who didn’t write that instant best-seller at age
22. I love hearing the non-linear stories of people who found their way to
writing by following non-traditional paths.
I literally wrote my first book in second
grade (a cookbook, and my signature recipe was vanilla ice cream topped with
Cap’n Crunch), and I never stopped writing—but I never believed enough in
myself or my stories to pursue them seriously. I went all-in on an academic
career instead.
Then the universe threw me into a second act
I never saw coming. And when life hands you a second chance that reads like a
romance novel, maybe it’s time to leave the fear behind and write the darn
romance novels. It’s never too late.
5) If you could
have any three literary characters over to your place for game night, who would
you invite, what would you play, what would you serve, and why?
Oh, that’s easy: Darcy (Pride &
Prejudice), Rochester (Jane Eyre), and Heathcliff (Wuthering
Heights). I’ll have Maxim deWinter (Rebecca) on speed-dial, because
we all know how unreliable Heathcliff is, and he’ll probably get drunk
and cancel at the last second.
Given the guest list, roast beef and
Yorkshire pudding would be the only acceptable menu. I’ll have a sticky toffee
pudding for dessert, but you just know they won’t eat it. I suppose I’ll have
to buy extra claret. And whisky.
Once they finish stinking up my drawing room
with their after-dinner cigars, we’ll play Truth or Dare or Drink. It’s
just Truth or Dare, but with the option of doing a shot of tequila
instead of telling the truth or taking a dare.
Darcy safely chooses Truth, Rochester
picks Dare, and Heathcliff (who arrived in an Uber, he absolutely did not
drive drunk) predictably goes for Drink. The evening inevitably spirals
out of control; there’s swordplay, pistols, arson, the cut direct, and a series
of prank phone calls to Max deWinter.
I’ll be filing an insurance claim to cover
the damages, and the boys are going to need bail money.
6) Do you feel that
you can ever have too many books?
I don’t understand. Has anybody ever said
‘yes’ to this?
Author Bio:Tinsley Sellers grew up in Chicago, spending her summers with her grandparents in a tiny town a lot like Beckley, Michigan. Life took her to Arizona, Washington, and Idaho before she finally found her home in Arkansas. She is married to an amazing, supportive (and handsome!) man, with whom she has rescued three dogs and two cats. When she’s not writing, she teaches physics and engineering at the local university. When she’s not writing or teaching, she’s probably trying new recipes. She enjoys fast cars, loud music, fine whisky, and big books. In no particular order.
Thanks for hosting today, Jen!
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