Announcing My New Book, Strictly Business
I’m so excited to share that my next book, Strictly Business, will be released on March 4, 2025! Strictly Business is equal parts a love letter to Nashville, a love story between a wayward country music star and a buttoned-up marketing executive, and a nod to some of my own real-life experiences during my time working in the music industry. Although, to date, I have not encountered a wayward country music star of my own. There’s always a chance, though, right?
About Strictly Business:
Beckett Wade does what he wants. They call him a country music star. He considers himself anything but. His music is outside of mainstream, he hasn’t had a radio hit in years, and he refuses to bend to his label’s attempts to mold him into something he’s not. If he’s not on a stage, he’s in the woods, hiking, camping, and climbing. He’s as committed to never settling down as he is to his music. Until he meets her.
Olivia Alexander is a professional. She’s polished, good at her job, and always has a plan. She also can’t back down from a challenge. That particular personality trait is how she finds herself back in Nashville to take on a leadership role at a marketing agency. Her first order of business? Get Beckett Wade – who happens to be her neighbor – to sign on as a spokesperson for a client that specializes in outdoor equipment.
Never one to make things easy, Beckett insists on trying the equipment first. The catch? Olivia has to join him. Her idea of an outdoor activity is drinking wine on a patio, but she needs this first project to go well, and she cannot back down from a challenge. Soon, she finds herself not just testing her limits in the middle of the woods but falling for Beckett Wade, too.
The problem? This is supposed to be strictly business. And he has sworn he will never fall in love.
I wrote Strictly Business right after I moved back to Nashville from Los Angeles. I love Nashville, and being back in Music City lit a creative fire in me. I wrote the first draft in a matter of weeks, came back to it every other month or so to edit and refine it until it felt ready to be released into the wild. Beckett and Olivia feel so real to me at this point that I’m surprised I’m not sharing a physical space with them.
One of the most special things about this story is how much of me is in it. I was on the other side of a difficult stretch of time when I wrote Strictly Business. Only later did I realize that I infused some of my own life’s story into Olivia’s, including the moving around I’ve done and, best of all, my dogs. Yes, Knox and Griff are side characters in this novel. They nosed their way in there without me ever realizing it. As you may know if you follow me on social media, I recently lost Knox, my OG best boy. Having him in these pages as a spunky, ball-obsessed pup is so special now. And sweet Griff is still just as happy to be here in real life as he is in the pages of this book.
I’m working on a playlist for Strictly Business that I will share when I feel it’s just right. In the meantime, these three songs really set the vibe and hopefully get you excited to read Beckett and Olivia’s story:
- “Wild Ones” by Kip Moore
- “Fireside” by Chase Rice
- “Magic” by Kip Moore
Beckett is a gritty, devil-may-care kind of guy, and I found I gravitated towards a lot of the “left of center” country music artists while writing and, later, editing. The playlist I’m curating is pretty epic if I do say so myself. It’s particularly well-suited for driving along country roads with the windows down.
Releasing a new book is always equal parts exciting and terrifying. I feel both as I announce the release of Strictly Business. I’m proud of the story, though, and I’m excited to get it into your hands. I hope you love Beckett and Olivia as much as I do.
You can pre-order the ebook now. Strictly Business will also be available in paperback and on Kindle Unlimited on March 4th. Cover reveal coming soon!
Here’s to Beckett and Olivia, to Nashville, and to falling in love.
Here’s to the wild ones.
Happy reading.
