Whee! Less than three weeks until the March 21 release of Love, Legacy, and Little Green Aliens, book 3 in my Trappers Cove Romance series. I’ve had SO! MUCH! FUN! writing this one, and I can’t wait to share the characters and beach town that have brought me so much joy.
Meet the Hero
Allow me to introduce the story’s hero, Greek American Seattle entrepreneur Xander Anagnos.
Hi. (waves self-consciously). Um, thanks for reading, internet strangers, and I hope you enjoy the story of how Hannah and I laid down our arms and found love among the aliens. Of course, you won’t enjoy it as much as I did. (grins and blushes)
I grew up in Seattle, Washington, second son in a big, boisterous Greek family. That second son part is important because, according to family tradition, the second son in each generation is cursed to be a failure. You’d think we’d have shaken off that old-world nonsense long ago, but nooo.
My family’s been in the restaurant business since my great-great-grandparents founded Seattle’s first Greek restaurant, Niko’s Taverna, and the family has always pressured me to take a back-room job there—you know, to keep the cursed one out of sight. My first few attempts at striking out on my own… well, “flopped” is a nice way to put it.
So when my uncle Gus, also a second son, summoned me to Trappers Cove, the funky little WA beach town where I spent happy summers working in his souvenir shop, I hurried down to check out the “out of this word” business opportunity he promised me.
Sadira, is it okay if I mention what happened to Gus? (Author nods)
Right, well…sorry, this isn’t easy. (wipes a tear) When I got to Trappers Cove, I found Gus dead on his office floor, clutching a letter to me. Long story short, Gus had pretty much lost his marbles and believed the aliens were coming for him. He left me his alien-themed souvenir shop on the condition that I keep his “cosmic transmitter” thingy open to the public.
I know romance stories need a “meet cute,” the but way I met Hannah Leone was far from cute. I was a panicked, bawling mess, having just discovered my uncle’s lifeless body. Hannah called 911, got me situated in a hotel, and summoned all kinds of help. She’s amazing that way.
But she’s also the most hard-headed woman I’ve ever met. I mean, I get it—she’s got her own business to save, the Trappers Cove Beacon, one of those small-town newspapers struggling for readers. So I can’t really blame her for wanting to report on Gus’s death and the future of Souvenir Planet.
Was it love at first sight? Nah. I was too caught up in legal paperwork, family drama, and figuring out how to salvage a business that was nearly bankrupt and falling down around my ears. And yet, the way she hugged me tight through that awful afternoon… (wistful smile) Being in Hannah’s arms isn’t something a man can easily forget.
When the UFO believers came swarming out of the woodwork, Hannah saw a juicy story for her newspaper, but I saw a freakin’ embarrassment. I needed to remake Souvenir Planet, the goofiest, tackiest souvenir shop on the Washington coast, into a business I could be proud of. And I had damn little money to do it with. So, falling for the woman determined to thwart my every idea…(chuckles). I can laugh about it now, but at the time, I didn’t know whether to kiss her or strangle her.
Just kidding about that last bit—I’d never hurt Hannah. She’s…(happy sigh). I hope you’ll read the book and discover for yourself how infuriating and amazing she is.
And I know all of Sadira’s heroes say this, but truly, I’m the luckiest guy who ever breathed.
Pre-order Love, Legacy, and Little Green Aliens