Firefighter Ozzy Lakeman falls hard and fast for pregnant construction supervisor Jo Bertoletti, a woman who has no intention of risking her heart again. But then, she hasn’t ever met a man like Ozzy before.

Anna, welcome to Romance Lives Forever. I’m Kayelle Allen, author and owner of this blog. Happy to have you here! Please tell us about Building a Surprise Family.

Building a Surprise Family by Anna J Stewart

Genre sweet contemporary romance

Book heat level (based on movie ratings): G

Pregnant construction supervisor Jo Bertoletti doesn’t need anyone’s help…or another heartbreak. So she’s putting handsome, kindhearted firefighter Ozzy Lakeman firmly into the friend zone. After all, she’s just passing through Butterfly Harbor, and her life is too complicated for a summer romance. But Ozzy feels an immediate connection. Can he convince the woman of his dreams to take a chance on building a forever family with him?

QUICK

Do you write more than one genre? If so, what are they?…

I do! I write sweet contemporary romance for Harlequin Heartwarming, mainstream (steamier) contemporary, spicy romantic suspense for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and I also write paranormal romance (across the heat spectrum). In late 2022 I’ll be adding single title romantic suspense with my new Hollywood inspired series from Caezik Romance.

How do you come up with ideas?…

They come from everywhere, but most of the time it’s when I’m watching TV or a movie. Something interesting will catch my attention and I noodle it into a new idea. Or…sometimes it’s just something I see when I’m driving (this happened recently with a forthcoming book about a prison break). My brain is always taking stuff in and turning it into a story.

What is the single most important part of writing for you?…

Giving readers an escape. It’s why I love reading—I want to lose myself and forget about all the *stuff* that’s out there. If I can give readers a break from their lives, and leave a smile on their faces, then I consider that book a success. If they come back for more? That’s icing on the cake.

When did you write your first book?…

Back in the stone age, LOL. Actually, I think I started my first book (the first I ever finished) in 1987? Right before I finished high school. I actually submitted it to Harlequin (Silhouette Intimate Moments it was then) soon after, got a lovely rejection letter that encouraged me to keep going and it went right under the bed. I played at writing for a lot of years after until I decided I really wanted to make this my career. About ten years ago, my then agent asked if I had anything other than paranormal to submit to publishing houses, so I dragged that book out, rewrote it, and it sold to Berkley soon after. I’ve since gotten the rights back and published it myself (The Nemesis Files—it was the first of three in a light romantic suspense series). And that editor from Harlequin? I write for her now in the Romantic Suspense lines. A definite full-circle experience.

FUN

Leather or lace? Neither. I’ll take shorts or yoga pants.

Black or red? Black. Red clashes with my hair.

Satin sheets or smooth cotton? Cotton. I slide out of bed with satin, LOL

Ocean or mountains? Ocean. ALWAYS!

City life or country life? Ooooh, I’ve always lived in the city (grew up in SF and now live in Sacramento), so I’d love to give the country a shot.

Party life or evening at home? Home for sure. Although after this last year and a half…yeah. I’m still a homebody.

Dogs or cats? Cats, probably because I’ve always had them. I’d like a dog though. Animals make my heart happy.

Where to buy Building a Surprise Family

Publisher (Harlequin) https://www.harlequin.com/shop/books/9781335426345_building-a-surprise-family.html
Amazon https://www.amazon.com/Building-Surprise-Family-Romance-Butterfly-ebook/dp/B08P52FQYN/
Barnes and Noble https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/building-a-surprise-family-anna-j-stewart/1138375075
iBooks https://books.apple.com/us/book/building-a-surprise-family/id1542024765
Kobo https://www.kobo.com/us/en/ebook/building-a-surprise-family

Anna J Stewart Social Media

USA Today and national bestselling author Anna J Stewart writes sweet to sexy romances for Harlequin and ARC Manor’s Caezik Romance. Her sweet Heartwarming books include the Butterfly Harbor series as well as the ongoing Blackwell continuity series. She is also the author of the Honor Bound series for Harlequin Romantic Suspense and contributes to the bestselling continuity series, the Coltons. Her second Butterfly Harbor romance, Recipe for Redemption, was optioned as a TV movie and aired as Christmas Recipe for Romance in 2019 on UpTV. A former Golden Heart, Daphne, and National Reader’s Choice finalist, Anna loves writing big community stories where family found is always the theme. Since her first published novella with Harlequin in 2014, Anna has released more than forty novels and novellas. Anna lives in Northern California where (at the best times) she loves going to the movies, attending fan conventions, and heading to Disneyland, her favorite place on earth. When she’s not writing, she is usually cooking, baking, binge-watching her newest TV addiction, re-watching her all-time favorite show, Supernatural, and wrangling two monstrous cats named Rosie and Sherlock.
Website https://www.AuthorAnnaStewart.com
Twitter https://www.Twitter.com/AJStewartWriter
Facebook https://www.Facebook.com/AuthorAnnaJStewart
Pinterest https://www.Pinterest.com/AnnaJStewart
Instagram https://www.Instagram.com/AnnaJStewart
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/8475995.Anna_J_Stewart
BookBub https://www.bookbub.com/authors/anna-j-stewart
Amazon Author Page https://www.amazon.com/Anna-J-Stewart/e/B00M79FNAY