Love can only truly blossom when you trust your heart.
CARDS FROM KHLOE'S FLOWER SHOP
Isabella Louise Anderson
Released Jan 17th, 2017
As the owner of a successful florist shop, Khloe Harper trusts her instincts. She has a strong bond with her family and friends, but after being betrayed by her last love, she's kept herself at arms’ length from romance. When dashing entertainment attorney Derek Thomas walks into her store, Khloe’s interest is piqued. What at first seems like a business relationship quickly turns into romance, and Derek slowly plucks away the petals she’s been hiding behind. Just as Khloe lets down her guard, she discovers that Derek may not be worthy of her love after all.
Frumpy
Connie Albright has a faux fascination with an imaginary man named Walt, thinking
that by sending herself flowers from him she’ll feel less out-of-place with the
“mean girls” she works with. When she comes face to face with her possible
prince charming and thinking she might have a happy ending, when a truth is
revealed, she wonders if she’ll ever have a Cinderella story.
A recently
widowed senior, Gabby Lewis, isn't ready to give up on love—which means
releasing herself from survivor's guilt and taking a chance on finding
happiness and companionship again. After signing up for an online dating site
for senior citizens, much to her surprise, she’s matched with Harry, an
energetic and loving man, who quickly eases himself into her heart. Will Gabby
take the leap of falling in love again, knowing it’s possible to have two loves
of her life?
As each
woman’s story develops through flowers and cards sent from Khloe's shop during
the fall months, they begin to learn that love can only truly blossom when you
trust your heart.
Connie
typed anxiously on her keyboard, looking up from her cubicle every few seconds,
waiting for Sharon from Khloe’s Flower Shop to come through the glass entryway
doors. She had checked her email first thing that morning, and like always,
once a week, there was a confirmation about her order.
Dear Connie
Albright,
Your order
to CONNIE ALBRIGHT has been created by one of our team members and is on its
way to the recipient.
If you have
any questions, comments, or complaints, please call Khloe Harper at 1-800-555-1212.
As always,
I wish you a bouquet of happiness! Khloe Harper
Owner of
Khloe’s Flower Shop
With a
sigh, Connie looked back down at her keyboard and continued entering patients’
data into the Excel spreadsheet. Six years ago, to pay for her college
education, she had started the medical data entry job, where she found mundane
tasks enjoyable, and had been looking forward to making new friends. However,
these days, she was now a college graduate with a degree in marketing who hated
her job, finding it boring and repetitive, nor had she made friends with any of
her co-workers. In fact, they barely noticed her.
Compared to
the thin, sexy bombshells she worked with, Connie wasn’t anyone to be desired.
She was tall, frumpy, wore glasses, and, thanks to a conversation she
overheard, was known in the office as “the ugly girl who wore tacky sweaters.”
With the exception of a few that her grandmother had sent her for her birthday,
having crocheted each one, Connie didn’t think the sweaters were tacky.
So, after
hearing enough of what was being said behind her back, and after complaining to
her best friend—her diary—she came up with an idea to change things, and, so
far, it seemed to have worked like magic.
“Connie!”
Mia, the office receptionist, squealed. “They’re here!”
With a
slight pause to get ready for the weekly act she performed, Connie popped up
from her chair and watched Sharon approach. After signing her name to the page
on the clipboard, she gave Sharon, the only other person besides Khloe who knew
her secret, a quick nod.
Suddenly,
Connie found herself in the center of a circle of women hovering over her desk,
eagerly waiting for her to read the card that came with the bouquet.
“Well, what
does it say?” asked a co-worker.
“Yeah, come
on. Tell us,” begged another.
She took in
the moment, wishing she had a real man who would say the things she had written
to herself. “Your beauty captures me more each day, and my love for you grows
each time I touch you. I’m looking forward to this weekend...in bed! Walt.”
Holding the
card close to her chest, Connie forced tears from her eyes, forcing herself to
blush in front of her co-workers. “Oh, I love that man so very much.”
“Seriously,
that has to be the most romantic thing I’ve ever heard,” Mia said, dramatizing
her voice and placing her hands on her chest. “Oh, Connie, you’re so lucky to
have a man like him.”
“Yeah, Con,
that’s cute,” began Nicola, the bitchiest of them all. “But the last time I got
flowers, just yesterday as a matter of fact, they certainly weren’t
carnations,” she joked, motioning her hand like she was shooing the flowers
away from her. All the co-workers joined in her laughter, and then shuffled
back to their desks.
Connie
looked at her flowers and smiled, her feathers not ruffled by Nicola’s comment.
She felt accomplished and desired. For a few moments, she’d been the center of
attention of a group of women who she knew despised her. Even back in high
school, she had been a female nerd, which crossed her out from being friends with
the beautiful and popular girls, and in college it was pretty much the same
story. It’s not that she didn’t try to make an effort, because she did, but
after failing time and time again, whether it be at orientation, working
together in groups for school projects, or the few times Connie went to a pub
near the university in hopes of meeting up with a few girls who she thought she
could be friends with, it never worked. They either laughed in her face, said
that the empty seat next to them was already taken (when it really wasn’t), or
simply ignored her.
Though it
was beginning to get expensive and difficult to keep the lies about Walt
straight, Connie had no other choice but to continue the weekly charade.
It’s just
the right thing to do!, she told herself, taking a seat in her chair before
continuing to enter the endless data, while thinking of what Walt’s card would
say the following week.
Isabella
grew up with a book in her hand, and to this day nothing has changed. She
focuses her time on featuring other writers on her blog, Chick Lit Goddess, along with
organizing Goddess
Book Tours, and is a member of the Romance Writers of America
She
lives in Dallas with her husband, enjoys spicy Mexican food, margaritas, gin on
the rocks (with a splash of lime). She loves spending time with family and
friends and cheering on the Texas Rangers. Not only is Isabella an author,
she’s also a Scentsy consultant
and hoarder.
Isabella
is the author of The Right Design and Cards From
Khloe’s Flower Shop. Her short story, “Meet Me Under the
Mistletoe,” was featured in Simon & Fig’s Christmas anthology, Merry
& Bright. She’s currently working on another book.
Who
Should Play the Main Characters in CARDS FROM KHLOE’S FLOWER SHOP
Khloe
Harper, (Amy Adams): Not only is Amy beautiful, but she also seems smart,
is a hard-working actress. I’ve seen her on TV interviews, and she also appears
to be fun and loving. Similar to Khloe, Amy seems a bit mysterious and can be
very sultry and sexy when she wants to.
Derek
Thomas, (Josh Duhamel): Josh Duhamel…the name should stand for itself!
Seriously, he’s darn sexy. While he’s married to Fergie since he’s become a
father, it’s easy to see that he makes for a great father, (no spoilers, but
Derek is a family man).
Gabriella
“Gabby” Lewis, (Blythe Danner): I’ve always loved Blythe, so when I was
writing Gabby’s character, I instantly imagined her. Blythe, like Gabby, is
very nurturing. While both of them are widows, they were madly in love with
their husbands. Also, family is both very important to them.
Harry
Hoffman, (John Mahoney): Who else is more lovable than the man who
played the dad on “Fraiser”? I enjoyed writing Harry’s character, along with
the rest of his family. Being a widow himself, I wanted his interaction with
Gabby to be tender and sweet—even relatable to some.
Connie
Albright, (Mayim Bialik): One of my favorite things about this book
is Connie’s story. My main message was that not everyone is beautiful on the
outside, but can be on the inside. With that being said, I’m a huge fan of “The
Big Bang Theory,” and Connie’s character is based on Amy Farrah Fowler. They’re
both awkward, yet smart; too accepting and are sometime willing to put up with
so much—that is until they can only take so much of it. Not only do I want
people to give Connie’s character a change, but I also hope they see a bit of
themselves in her, too.
Walt
Goldman, (Adam Levine): The main part of why I thought of Adam Levine for this
character is that he’s pretty much Mayim’s opposite—smokin’ hot! However, what
I mainly wanted to write this book was that just because Walt can appear the
type to be the hot guy (who can act like a jerk, and not one to take a second
look at a woman like Connie), he’s not. I hope the readers see that they can
balance one another out.
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