Arctic Wild by Annabeth Albert
Series: Frozen Hearts, #2
Publisher: Carina Press (Harlequin)
Release Date (Print & Ebook): eBook
June 3, 2019 / Print MMP June 25, 2019
Length (Print & Ebook): approx.
105,000 words / 400 pages
Subgenre: Contemporary Romance
All buy links or pre-order links:
Book synopsis:
When a plane
crashes in the Alaskan wilderness, the best place to land is in the arms of a
younger man…
Hotshot attorney Reuben Graham
has finally agreed to take a vacation, when his plane suddenly plunges into the
Alaskan wilderness.
Just his luck.
But his frustrations have only
begun as he finds himself stranded with the injured, and superhot, pilot, a man
who’s endearingly sociable—and much too young for Reuben to be wanting him this
badly.
As the sole provider for his
sisters and ailing father, Tobias Kooly is devastated to learn his injuries
will prevent him from working or even making it back home. So when Reuben
insists on giving him a place to recover, not even Toby’s pride can make him
refuse. He’s never been tempted by a silver fox before, but something about
Reuben is impossible to resist.
Recuperating in Reuben’s care
is the last thing Toby expected, yet the closer they become, the more
incredibly right it feels, prompting workaholic Reuben to question the life
he’s been living. But when the pressure Toby’s under starts closing in, both
men will have to decide if there’s room in their hearts for a love they never
saw coming.
Excerpt
“Do you want to try to see bears or other wildlife when we
land at Katmai? I know a good, safe trail that’s fairly easy, but it has a
great chance of wildlife spotting.” Toby’s tone was encouraging, but not pushy.
“The other option is for you to settle in early at the lodge, but with it being
light so long, most people like a late dinner with a hike beforehand.”
“Hike sounds fine. And no need to slow yourself down on my
account—choose a trail you like.” He forced an optimistic tone, because he
didn’t want Toby thinking he needed easy options like some eighty-year-old. The
same part of him that wanted to prove his doubters wrong wanted to impress
Toby, but that urge carried with it an undercurrent of wanting to show off for
the attractive guy, an urge Reuben hadn’t had in years.
“Hey, it’s your vacation.” Toby offered him a lazy smile,
the sort that made Reuben’s insides feel decades younger. “But sure, I’ll show
you some of my favorite vantage points. It’s not a short flight, so we’ll have
plenty of time for exploring.”
Reuben liked the sound of that, especially since most of the
next leg of the trip was over water with less scenery to distract him. However,
Toby kept up a nice if crackly commentary, pointing out little dots in the
water that were whales, and providing a history of the Katmai National Park and
Preserve with its lava fields and unique landscape and the lakes and rivers of
the region, and when they touched down on a lake, he’d almost sold Reuben on
the idea of trying fly fishing in the morning as a not terrible endeavor.
Apparently, the lodge had all the equipment they’d need for borrowing, and
Toby’s enthusiasm was infectious.
“Now I’m really wishing Craig and Leticia had come,” Reuben
joked as they came to a stop, before Toby had a chance to jump out. “Leticia
with a fishing pole would be a sight worth seeing.”
“I bet.” Toby waited until he’d opened the hatches to speak
again. “Wait till you have dinner—you’ll want to brag on that too. This is one
of the best food stops on your trip, which is why we do two nights here. I let
them know you’re a wine drinker, so the chef should have done some nice
pairings for you.”
“Now that sounds wonderful. But first we hike?” While not
exactly eager, Reuben had to admit he was falling into the rhythm of the trip
more, less uncomfortable than he’d been at first.
“Yeah. They’ll take our luggage up to the cabins by ATV, and
our hike will circle back to the main lodge in time for the dinner. There
shouldn’t be too many other guests as it’s a fairly exclusive place.” Toby set
their bags on the dock right as a young woman rode up on one of those squat
motorcycle-like things with the fat tires, pulling a little cart.
“Hey, Toby.” She had a big smile for him and one for Reuben
too. “We put your client in cabin four, near the sauna, and you’re in your
usual one. Don’t be late for dinner!”
“We won’t.” Toby gave her a grin that made her cheeks go
pink before he turned toward Reuben. “Your cabin has electricity and heat, and
that sauna is totally worth a post-dinner try.”
“I’m not usually much on recreational sweating.” Reuben
realized too late how that sounded, and Toby’s rich chuckle said that he’d
caught the unintentional joke there.
“Well, that’s just too bad.” Toby’s tone might have been
called flirty if they’d been in a bar, but out here just seemed like more of
his natural charm. “Trailhead is this way.”
Blog Tour
Q&A:
Do you find it more challenging to write the first book in a series or
to write the subsequent novels?
ARCTIC WILD is book two in the Frozen Hearts series, and there is
something about book two in a series that is definitely challenging! Beta Test,
At Attention, and now this one were all unique challenges for me. Each book is
its own challenge, though. Book One can be a challenge because you’re creating
a brand-new world, all new characters, places, important themes etc. But in
book two, you’re carrying that universe forward and you’re also limited by what
you did in book one, and not just the obvious plot ways. The tone, length,
themes, and pacing of book one absolutely affect book two as you try to make
sure the series will be cohesive as a whole. And I’m sure it’s just me, but my
book two of several series now have taken more intense rewrites to get the
story exactly as I want it for my readers. But it’s work I love doing, and I
love all the books in my various series!
What is the most surprising thing you discovered while writing this
entire series? I loved all my research into Alaska. I discovered so many
amazing details, many of which made it to the books, and others which ended up
on the cutting room floor so to speak, but which still influenced the series.
The research into the food was among the most fun for me, and not just menus,
but food storage and preservation and seasons as well.
Who is your favorite character from the Frozen Hearts series? I
loved all of the heroes in this trilogy so much. I think River from book 1 and
Owen from book 3, who you’ll meet in September, were among the most fun POVs to
write. Book Two, ARCTIC WILD, had my favorite secondary characters of the whole
series, and I loved writing both heroes too.
Can you share with us something about Arctic Wild that isn’t in the
blurb? The blurb is tightly focused on the romance between the heroes, but
one of my favorite things about the book is the secondary characters. You’ll
meet Toby’s sister, Nell, and Reuben’s daughter, Amelia, and a several other
characters who I really enjoyed writing. Also? The blurb won’t tell you that
there’s shower sex, but I totally will!
What is the key theme and/or message in Arctic Wild? To me, this
book is all about family—the family we are born to, the family we form, and the
family we find in unexpected places leading to unbreakable bonds. And love—love
creates family, love heals old hurts, and love leads us unexpected places as it
renders all those differences between two people irrelevant. I want the message
to be that we can form family and find love even in the most trying of
circumstances, even when we least expect it, and that family comes in many
surprising packages.
About Annabeth Albert:
Annabeth Albert grew up sneaking
romance novels under the bed covers. Now, she devours all subgenres of romance
out in the open—no flashlights required! When she’s not adding to her keeper
shelf, she’s a multi-published Pacific Northwest romance writer.
Emotionally complex, sexy, and
funny stories are her favorites both to read and to write. Annabeth loves
finding happy endings for a variety of pairings and is a passionate gay rights
supporter. In between searching out dark
heroes to redeem, she works a rewarding day job and wrangles two children.
Connect with Annabeth Albert:
Giveaway:
Win one paperback set of Arctic Sun, Arctic Wild, and a swag
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