What is your story?
I thought my life was set. My career as a financial analyst was secure, and I was engaged to be married, living in New York. However, it all fell apart when the market crashed and I lost my job. Thoughts of all I gave up for my job, the betrayal I felt at being discarded washed through me. I couldn’t continue in that line of business; I wanted something less demanding. Not sure what I wanted to do I began researching different careers. But when Porsha, my fiancé, found out she flipped and left me. There went my chances of starting a family; all the time I invested in our relationship was gone. So, that’s when I decided, if I couldn’t have a family of my own, I’d care for someone else’s.
Do you embrace conflict?
Well, I definitely don’t run from conflict. I feel like I handle conflict on an as needed basis. If I’m the one that needs to confront it, I do. However, if Mia needs to go off the handle, it’s my job to ground her. Mia is very protective of her family and strong headed, but I’m also a protector by nature. We balance each other and take care of each other and that means all conflict.
What in your past would you like to forget?
I think past mistakes are important to our futures. They teach us things and, hopefully, in the end make us stronger. Regretting things gets us nowhere really and it is an opportunity to learn and grow. So, I wouldn’t change anything from my past.
Who was your first love?
Kristen Montgomery, we were in the ninth grade. At the time, I loved her so much, well, as much as a thirteen year old could. We dated for two weeks before she left me to go out with some kid, Chaz. My heart was broken for ages.
Who is your true love?
My true love and soul mate is Mia Balducci. From the moment we met, I knew she’d be a part of my life forever.
Was there ever a defining moment of your life?
Yes, the moment I lost everything I thought I wanted and decided to become a manny. It all brought me here.
What one word best describes you?
Loyal
Who was your best friend when you were growing up?
My brother was/is my best friend. We’ve always been really close, and never had any animosity toward each other.
What is the perfect romantic date?
I’m not sure if it’s the perfect date, but it’s a great one. For our anniversary, I’ve scheduled to have limo pick us up at home and take us to an Italian restaurant in Long Beach. After the romantic dinner we will be taken to the canals in Venice, which look just like the canals in Venice, Italy. Once there we’ll get to take a gondola ride with some wine and wonderful singing. Then I’ll take her home and ravish her.
What is more important – sex or intimacy? Why?
Being a guy, you all probably think I’d say sex. Well, yes, I think sex is important, but without intimacy there’s no relationship. Sex without intimacy is what people who don’t love each other do. And a relationship without intimacy is a friendship. We need the intimacy more than anything and the rest will come and bring it all together.
Is it okay for you to cry? When was the last time you cried?
Men don’t cry. But Mia thinks she saw me cry when we watched The Notebook. I wasn’t, really.
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| [amazon_link id=”B00ES4ZSP6″ target=”_blank” container=”” container_class=”” ]Amazon[/amazon_link] | BN |
Blurb:
Mia Balducci misses her childhood days and yearns for the big, Italian family that she left behind in small town Massachusetts. At the tender age of sixteen, Mia moves with her bachelor father to Los Angeles, but no matter how many years pass, it never becomes home to her. The years spent living with her father aren’t easy, especially since she can’t stop thinking about what she once had. Her enrollment in the University of Southern California promises to bring exciting changes to her life, but Mia winds up with big problems instead. When she runs into an old friend from her old hometown of Winthrop, she gets swept up in nostalgia, and she soon loses herself in a quickly-progressing romance. When the fantasy falls apart, she is left to raise her precious little girl, Lucia, on her own. The demands of Mia’s work schedule and Lucia’s needs increase, and their lives become increasingly hectic. It is soon clear to Mia that she needs help. Luckily, her life-saving cousin saves the day and brings the mother and daughter a male nanny – their new “manny.”
After losing his high-pressure job on Wall Street, Dominic Roberts wants to follow his dreams to have a family. He’s already one fiancée down, and there are no likely prospects for another. In order to find the family he so desperately wants, he finds himself getting into the manny business. Since he is fully qualified to provide child care and is eager to leave New York City behind, his sister-in-law is able to land him a job in California working for his first client – the beautiful and intriguing Mia Balducci.
Will Lucia like the new man in her mother’s life? Will Mia? And will this new trio discover the happily ever after they all so desperately seek?
Excerpt:
I had never seen this man undressed before. Standing in my room, feeling shy all of a sudden, I watched while he removed his clothes and unveiled his beauty. In all honesty, I didn’t know what to expect. I had seen glimpses of him, small parts here and there, while we groped like kids on the sofa during our movie nights. When his shirt went over his head, I savored every toned muscle and found myself eager to touch every part of him. Anxiety ran through me while my eyes bounced over every bare piece of his skin. I felt the instant need to skim my fingers through the light scatter of hair on his chest that disappeared into his jeans. I wanted to taste the salt on his skin when I licked the “v” at his hips.
The confidence I had in the living room faded when we faced each other. I wanted to close the distance, to touch him, but my nerves set in. My mind was running with different, crazy thoughts. What if he didn’t like my body? I had a baby, after all. What if he didn’t find me experienced enough? What if I couldn’t please him? I steeled myself and began to undress alongside him. My body shook with nerves and anticipation, and I couldn’t wait to feel him. My body begged for fast and rough, but my heart yearned for soft and sensual.
“Whoa, not so fast, baby. I want to do that,” he said in a playful tone that relaxed me and made me giggle.
Standing back, I watched when he let his pants drop to the floor so I was able to appreciate his strong legs. They were long, with defined muscles covered in black wisps of hair. He placed his pants on the chair behind him, and I caught a look at his tight ass in his dark gray boxer briefs. As a full package, Dominic was complete perfection. Hell, even in parts he was beautiful. When he turned back toward me, he looked right into my eyes, and I let out a shaky breath. My eyes were sucked in by his, and I watched while they changed color, turning darker. In the look we shared, our souls just spoke—connected. It was the kind of moment I had read about in fairy tales; it was not something that happened in real life, but it happened now. It happened for us.
Author Bio:
Jennifer Garcia’s (aka Forbes Arnone) love of travel began when she went to the West Coast to visit her father at the age of three. Her home until she was sixteen was a small coastal town near Boston. She currently resides in Los Angeles with her husband, two sons, and two dogs.
Her lifelong love for reading and writing was put aside for many years while she made her way in the world and nurtured her young family. Even though she is older, and life never seems to settle, she’s finding her way while attending college full-time in pursuit of a B.A. in English Literature. She also runs a business, and is still caring for her family. Believing she can do it all, with the help of her family, she worked on her first novel during the late hours of the night while balancing the rest of her life during the day. Her hard work paid off, as her first novel, My Mr. Manny, will be published August 27, 2013.
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Thank you so much for hosting me. This was a lot of fun.