Timeless (Heart’s True Desire)
Book Two
By Kathryn Amurra
About the Book:
Genres: Contemporary Romance with Mystical Elements / Paranormal Romance
Publisher: Wild Rose Press
Publication Date: March 12, 2025
Erin Dovetree cannot forgive her father for cheating on her mother years ago and has sworn off men altogether. That is until destiny leads her to her grandmother’s incredibly attractive and mysterious landlord.
William Abbott has lived for over a hundred years, cursed with a static and unnatural existence as punishment for his past sins. Although drawn to the lovely and intelligent Erin, he refuses to subject her to the fate that is his alone to bear.
As Erin pieces together the story of Will’s past and discovers the true cause of his timeless existence, she must reconsider the judgments she has made in her own life. And to have any chance at a life together, she and Will must find answers to the questions that have plagued them both.
Purchase Link:
Excerpt:
“Erin?”
Erin jumped at the sound of Will’s voice and turned away from the dumpster she had been staring at to look at him. “Will! You scared the crap out of me!”
She tried to surreptitiously wipe the tears that had wet both her cheeks, but she knew it was obvious she’d been crying.
She cleared her throat and straightened her back. “You didn’t have to come out here. And you didn’t have to listen to my grandmother if she was the one who told you to follow me. I’m fine.”
Even to Erin’s own ears the pain and self-pity in her voice was as clear as a bell. How pathetic she was, a grown woman—an attorney at a high-priced law firm— crying next to a dumpster over getting her feelings hurt by her thoughtless father. It was a wonder Will could even bear to look at her.
Almost in response to her thoughts, Will took a few steps closer, until he was standing just inches away. “Nobody told me to follow you. I was worried about you.”
“Well, I’m fine,” she snapped. “I’m not a child. Despite how my father might speak to me. I can handle myself. I don’t need you to feel sorry for me.”
Her voice cracked, betraying her emotions, and she looked up into Will’s eyes to gauge his reaction. All she saw was kindness and genuine compassion.
“I’m sorry.” She sighed, tears welling up once again. “You were being nice, and I’m being a jerk. You should
go back and eat. I’ll come inside in a minute. I just needed to calm down. I’m fine now.”
Will reached up with both hands to touch the hair that fell on either side of her face. Erin’s breath caught in
her chest as his warm fingers innocently brushed the tips of her ears.
“I like your hair down,” he said in a low voice. Then he touched her lips briefly with the pad of his index finger. “And I like your lipstick. But I have to admit I like it when you wear your hair up, too, and when you’re not wearing any lipstick at all.”
“Maybe you’re just easy to please,” she whispered, feeling on the verge of passing out.
“Maybe you’re just beautiful.”
Julie’s Review:
Timeless (Heart’s True Desire) is a sweet cozy romance with and old soul. This is a standalone read.
Why do I say old soul? Because both the male character (who truly is old) and the young woman have a very classic old timey way about them. Erin doesn’t act like any modern day 20-something. Perhaps that’s why she and Will are drawn to each other.
Will has a dark past, full of guilt and sadness with an existence that goes on and on without explanation. Well, there will be an explanation but neither the reader nor Will find out until the end of the book. The character arc for Will is one of forgiveness and allowing himself to live and love again, and until he does that, he remains stagnant and sad.
Since we didn’t get any explanations up front, I was first thinking – maybe he’s a vampire. But he goes out in the daylight, and seems to eat and drink normal food. So his timelessness was very curious indeed.
Erin’s back story is also sad, and she too has a forgiveness arc – both with herself and with her father. Her anger at her father over the years has made her push men away and she has not been able to find love yet, until she meets Will.
The book falls into the typical tropes of broody love interest who thinks he knows what’s better for the girl, so he pushes her away, etc. It was annoying at first until we the reader finally get all the pieces to understand where his guilt comes from.
I enjoyed the flashbacks to the past that slowly told the story of what happened and the book was very careful to not reveal the secrets until the end. But with all the secrecy I missed the clues that this book is not just about people finding love with small magical paranormal elements, but that this series specifically focuses on magical artifacts. Perhaps if I read the first book I would have picked up on that theme here.
The majority of the book focused on their relationship or lack thereof, though there was little spice and the will-they-won’t-they wasn’t spicy nor did their chemistry feel palpable like a typical romance novel. We got small glimpses into Erin’s day to day life, but not very much. The biggest part of her life we saw was visits with her Grandmother – who is my favorite character.
Overall by the end of the book I enjoyed how everything came together and was resolved, but it took some time to get there. I am curious to read the first book though as that plot sounds fun.
Author Interview:
At what point did you decide to be an author, and what was your path to publication?
A: I’ve always wanted to be an author, since I first learned how to read and write. I used to copy books over the summer when I was in grade school, writing them out by hand (like the monks used to do before the printing press was invented!). I wrote through high school, took a break while I was in college for Engineering, then picked it back up again when I got a job as an engineer after college. I got married and kept writing, then went to law school with my husband and still snuck in some time for writing once classes eased up in my third year. But with all that writing I had never written anything with the serious goal of publishing it. I always thought my writing was a fun hobby (hence Engineering and Law), something to do in my spare time. I stopped writing when I had kids, after law school, and it wasn’t until New Year’s 2015 that I decided I wasn’t going to wait until I retired to publish a book. I made a three-part resolution—I would (1) research how to write a publishable romance novel; (2) start and finish writing the story I had been thinking about for months before; and (3) try to publish the novel when I was done. It was one of the few New Year’s Resolutions in my life that I actually kept.
What do you do when a new idea jumps out at you while you’re still working on a book? Do you chase the squirrel (aka “UP syndrome”) or do you finish your current project first?
A: I have been known to stop writing one book to work on something else, but I don’t do it often (I’ve only done it twice). Usually, though, I’ll just write down my idea somewhere so I don’t forget and keep going with my current project. And the times I stopped writing, I went back later to finish the book I paused work on, with better results.
Who is your favorite character to write, and why is that person your favorite? If picking a favorite character would be like picking a favorite child, which character seems to be the most demanding of your attention and detail as a writer?
A: “Bad guys” are hard for me to write, but fun. I usually enjoy writing my heroes the most, probably because I’m fantasizing about them at the same time.
Describe your writing process. Do you outline, plot, and plan, or is your writing more organic?
A: I typically start with a theme, like forgiveness or self-confidence, and I have key scenes in mind. I’ll know how I want to start and generally how I want to end, then I start writing. About two-thirds of the way through, I’ll know exactly how I want the rest of the book to unfold, and that’s when I’ll plot—just the last third of the book. It’s weird.
What are some books or authors that you would recommend to our readers?
A: I don’t know where to start with this one. I don’t think I’ve ever read anything by Karen Robards that I haven’t loved. But then there are other books that stand out in my mind—the first two Outlander books by Diana Gabaldon; The Weaver Takes a Wife by Sheri Cobb South; The Work of Art by Mimi Matthews; the Apprentice to the Villain books by Hannah Nicole Maehrer, and The Perfect Debutante by Annabelle Anders.
Tell us what you enjoy most about writing romance?
A: I love that things work out in the end. They have to in romance, by definition, but you don’t know how they will. Romance is about hope, perseverance, and faith—all things you need in life.
What have you found to be most challenging about writing romance?
A: Making things work out (getting to the “happily ever after”) in a way that is genuine and believable. I want the reader to have a moment of “oh, of course—it had to be like that, but I never saw it coming.” I don’t want them to think, “well, isn’t it convenient that the hero had an aunt we never knew about who died and left him all her money and now he can marry the heroine.” It’s hard to come up with a good ending, but it’s totally worth it.
Have you been able to incorporate your previous experience in your jobs/education in your writing?
A: Yes. I like to write based on my experience. From childhood interactions to high school to boyfriends to my relationship with my husband to motherhood to being a lawyer at a big firm—all of it seeps into my writing, one way or another.
Do you identify with your main character, or did you create a character that is your opposite?
A: Timeless is the first book I wrote after my mother passed away. Erin’s sadness, her grieving, is mine. The other stuff—a boyfriend who doesn’t age and a father who cheated on her mother—are completely made up.
Describe the book or series in 10 words or less for people just learning about it.
A: Timeless is about learning to forgive yourself and others so you can live, and love, with your whole self. Sorry, that’s more than 10 words.
Is there anything you would like people to take away from your book?
A: If Timeless is enjoyable and entertaining to a reader, then I’m happy. But if the book causes someone to take a second look at a broken relationship in that reader’s life, a grudge the person can’t seem to shake off, then that would really be something.
Do you have any odd (writing) habits?
A: I don’t think so. I write at night, after I’ve caught up on my day job stuff and my family is in bed. Depending on what’s going on that day, sometimes I only have a few minutes of writing in me before my eyes start closing of their own volition. On those days, I’m happy if I only write one sentence. Maybe that’s odd.
What has been the toughest criticism you have received as an author? What has been the best compliment?
A: One time, in communicating her review of my first published book Soothsayer, a blogger told me not to give up on writing because of her review, which was not very positive. I don’t remember her review, but I remember her telling me that because it annoyed me. The best comment I remember is from one blogger who said that reading my book was like eating potato chips—she couldn’t put it down. That was pretty awesome.
Share some advice for aspiring authors. What advice would you give to your younger self?
A: My advice is to share your work with others. Get as much feedback from other writers as you can. You don’t know what you’re doing wrong or not doing well until someone tells you. I wish I had done that sooner, because that’s when I really started improving my craft.
What is your favorite line from your book?
A: In one scene, Erin is at Will’s apartment having dinner with him, and he tells her that his interest in her is strictly platonic. She is disappointed, but hides it well. After dessert, she says to him, “I mean, you made chocolate mousse for me for dessert—if you didn’t want me to like you, you should have gone with stewed fruit or something.”
To date, what is your favorite (or most difficult) chapter you have ever written?
A: I don’t really have an answer for this one. Some parts of the story just spew out of me because I know exactly what I want to happen and how; other parts are equally important but just more difficult to figure out.
What is your take on book boyfriends? Do they actually exist? Or do they set the bar for “real-life men” impossibly high?
A: There are some characters in stories, male and female, that just stay with a reader. The reader identifies with them or admires them or empathizes with them. There’s nothing wrong with feeling that way about a hero in a book—having a book boyfriend. It doesn’t mean you will find all real men lacking. I have been married for 24 years to a wonderful, imperfect man, and I’ve had many a book boyfriend!
Have you ever experienced writer’s block? How did you deal with it?
A: Whenever I don’t know what to write next (and yes, this happens), I re-read what I had written before. I edit that and think about what’s next, and I make myself write something, even if it’s just a little bit, in the part that comes next. That usually does the trick for me.
What do you like to do when you’re not writing?
A: If I’m not working at my day job or spending time with my hubby and three girls, I read a lot. I watch some shows and movies. I clean the house. I sleep. But writing is my go-to hobby—I love it!
About the Author:
Kathryn Amurra is the author of sweet and sensual love stories. Her debut series, Soothsayer’s Path, is a historical romance series of standalone books set in Ancient Rome around 115 CE. Her new series, Heart’s True Desire, is a paranormal romance series of standalone books published through The Wild Rose Press. Kathryn has been making up stories for as long as she can remember and writing since grade school. Against the advice of her 12th grade English teacher, she studied Mechanical Engineering in college, then worked as an Engineer for a few years. After finding and marrying her own hero, she and her hubby went to law school together. They currently live in North Carolina with their three girls.
Contact Links:
Email – kathrynamurra@gmail.com
Website: https://www.kathrynamurra.com
Facebook – https://www.facebook.com/kathrynamurra/
X – https://x.com/AmurraKathryn
Goodreads – https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/20280375.Kathryn_Amurra
BookBub – https://www.bookbub.com/authors/kathryn-amurra
Giveaways:
First Giveaway
Three eBook Copies of Timeless to Three Lucky Winners
Open Internationally
Second Giveaway
One eBook Copy of Timeless and One eBook Copy of Amulet to One Lucky Winner
Open Internationally
Hosted By:
Quill and Ink Book Tours
https://quillandinkbooktours.com/
Note: Some posts may contain affiliate links. Should you choose to purchase a product, we will receive a small commission for the sale at no additional cost to you. Chapter Break is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com.
Leave a Reply