by Maggie Gates
Maddie smirked and wrapped her arms around my neck. “I was hoping you’d say that.”
Want More of the Beaufort Poker Club?
The grumpy, yet lovable Steve Pelham will get his happily ever after in Beaufort Poker Club book two, Wild Card.
Coming summer 2021!
Follow Maggie on social media for book updates and teasers!
Acknowledgements
Without the support and expertise of the following people, I would have never been able to bring Maddie and Luca to literary life. These folks are the real MVPs.
-To Mr. Mags, for being the most amazing husband and cheerleader. For spinning a complex web of lies, convincing me that driving me hours to Fort Macon was a normal Sunday activity, and proposing to me on the rock jetty. It's still my favorite place in the world. You my favorite and I love you more.
-To Alicia, thank you for reading every freaking thing I digitally shoved at you over the last few months. You're literally my best friend at this point, and sometime in the future we will meet! Thanks for being the best beta reader and confidant a girl could ask for!
-To C.L. Book Services, thank you for your editing eagle eyes and graphic design prowess! And for putting up with my virtual temper tantrums when it came to the growing pains of this book!
-To my readers, I love you, you know. Thank you for being the coolest hype squad and for getting behind this insane writing venture! Y'all are the best and I freaking love you so much it makes me want to cry!
-To The Pasta Grannies, thank you for keeping traditions alive.
-To all of my culinary school instructors, colleagues, and co-workers who shall remain nameless and will probably never read this—we create jobs and memories. That is important and essential work.
-To Scott Conant for hating raw onions, thank you for giving me the initial inspiration for the grumpy judge who became Luca De Rossi.
-To Sam Hunt for all his awesome music that I jammed to during this write.
-To the employees at Panera who probably got tired of me mooching off their WiFi, Y'all are dope.
-To Gordon Ramsay and his daughter for endless amusement on TikTok.
-Lastly, to my own Nonna, I love you and I miss you. No one makes rolls like you do.
About The Author
Maggie C. Gates
Maggie Gates is a contemporary romance novelist who likes to feature strong men and women doing extraordinary things and finding their happily ever afters along the way.
She calls the American southeast home and can often be found enjoying Torchy's tacos with extra queso! She and Mr. Mags love the spoils of a good Buc-ee's haul.
For future book updates, follow Maggie on Twitter and Instagram at @XOMaggieWrites.
Books By This Author
The Stars Above Us
What happened to Troy Davis?
That's what Becks is determined to figure out. When life takes an unexpected turn and plops her in the middle of the Afghan desert, the hotshot journalist finds herself surrounded by bullets, grenades, and a grumpy Army captain with a chip the size of Texas on his very broad shoulders. The captain is determined to get under her skin just as much as she gets under his.
All Captain Nathan Griffith wanted was to shake off the hell he’d faced over the last few years during a quiet deployment in the middle of nowhere. Lucky for him and the rest of the boys of Company B, Forward Operating Base Blessing fit the bill. When word comes down that a war correspondent is going to be embedded with them during their deployment, SHE is the last person he thought would ever show up.
After the unthinkable happens, Becks and Griff are torn between duty and desire. He never expected to find his fresh start in the middle of hell, but what will happen when Becks finally gets the answers she’s been looking for?
"The Stars Above Us" includes a sassy redhead, a grumpy Army captain, pranks, shenanigans, and a guaranteed happily ever after.
Author's Note to the Reader
Dear Reader,
Where to even begin? This book was a freakin’ blast to write. I love Maddie and Luca so much it makes me want to cry, and I think they’ll always hold a special place in my heart.
I was a little scared to start writing something other than military romance—that’s all I had ever done! I wrote Poker Face because I wanted to share a little bit of my own story and my own experiences—fictitiously, of course!
Some of these things really happened. (Let me tell you—champagne buttercream that’s been sitting in the jalapeno bucket is all kinds of nasty!) Maddie and I share the title of pastry chef and it was so much fun to weave her happily ever after together with little threads of my personal experiences.
I loved the world—both fictional and real—of Beaufort, North Carolina. I loved creating the friendships that support Maddie and Luca. I cannot wait to write the other five—yes, FIVE—Beaufort Poker Club novels!
I seriously hope that you love Maddie and Luca as much as I do! If you do, please leave a review on Amazon or GoodReads!
Thank you for spending your time and hard-earned money on this book. I hope you enjoyed your escape to a wonderful little town of backwoods bars, houseboat jumping, life, and love.
You’re a wonderful human being! (Also, you’re looking FINE today!)
Spread kindness!
XO,
Mags
