FINDER KEEPER OF MY HEART by Vina Arno

An aspiring Broadway actress believes her soul mate is named Avery, thanks to a message in a bottle. When she gets lost in a Hawaiian jungle, the mysterious Avery Bell saves her. Could he be The One? MESSAGE IN A BOTTLE meets SERENDIPITY.

SKU: B07DBBJGZG Category: Contemporary Tags: college romance, Fate, new adult, soul mate, virgin heroine

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About the author:

Vina Arno is the pen name of Cindy Fazzi, a Filipino-American writer and former Associated Press reporter. Finder Keeper of My Heart, published by Painted Hearts Publishing, is her second romance book. Her romance debut, In His Corner, was published by Lyrical Press in 2015. Her first literary novel, My MacArthur, will be published by the Sand Hill Review Press in 2018.

What inspired you to write your book?

This novel is my love letter to Hawaii, a perfect setting for romance. Whenever I visit Hawaii, particularly the Big Island, I’m transformed the minute I get off the airplane. I feel a big release of frantic energy and everything slows down for me in a very good way. I associate the Hawaiian experience with requited love itself—unhurried, calm, rich, and joyful.

Here is a short sample from the book:

Emma jogged for the next few minutes. Another brook, then a dry creek, before she faced a second switchback. Shit, she was lost! She slogged along, her legs now aching. Then a faint sound of water. Late July in Hawaii was hot and humid, but the temperature had turned cooler the closer she got to the source of the rumbling water.
It turned out to be a waterfall, partly blocked by overgrown grasses. She descended to the swimming hole and parted the tall weeds with both hands to get a full view.
Omigod! A naked man stood underneath the waterfall, his back to her.
Well, hellooo, hottie. She stood across from him, frozen and mesmerized by his beautiful body—tall build, broad shoulders, toned arms and legs. He braced himself against the water crashing on his face by gripping a boulder with each hand.
All of a sudden, he turned around, his eyes shut. Before she could hide, he stepped out of the cascading water. When he opened his eyes, his gaze shot straight to her. He cupped both hands over his groin.
“I’m sorry!” She swung around. “I’m lost. I need your help.”
He didn’t respond, and she didn’t dare look. Two, maybe three minutes passed.
“Hello? Are you still there?” she shouted without glancing.
“You can look now.” He stood several feet away, dressed in khaki cargo pants and a burgundy T-shirt marked MIT. He carried his hiking boots, socks, and a backpack.
“I’ve been lost forever.” She puffed out her cheeks and blew a gust of air. “You have no idea how happy I am to see you. I didn’t mean to intrude.”
He was probably a few years older than her. He didn’t appear embarrassed after getting caught buck naked, only annoyed.
“And your name is?” he snapped.
Okay, definitely pissed. “Emma Munroe—like Marilyn Monroe, but with a u.” She wanted to shake his hand, but didn’t get a chance since he perched on a big rock and proceeded to put on his socks and boots. When he rose, his dark eyes bored right through her.
He extended his hand. “I’m Avery Bell.”
“Avery?” She shook his hand, dumbstruck. Omigod! She had waited half of her life to meet someone named Avery—ever since she’d picked up a message in a bottle bearing that name.
He gave her a quizzical look.
She cleared her throat, composing herself. “Avery. I love that name.” My soul mate’s name is Avery. Could he be the one she’d been looking for?
He arched an eyebrow, like, really? He hauled his backpack over both shoulders. “How can I help you?”
“I need to get out of here.”
“How did you get here in the first place?”
“How did I get here?” she echoed like an idiot. Her self-confidence withered fast. She described the picnic on the beach and the hike up to the trail’s entrance. “I should have stayed put to wait for my friends, but my curiosity got the better of me. I chased the roosters and turkeys, plus I might have zoned out a little bit. I thought I was retracing my steps. I honestly don’t know how I got here.”
He nodded. “You’ve walked about four miles on the trail. Actually, you were probably not on the Muliwai Trail. You probably followed a fake trail. We’re a couple of miles away from Waimanu Valley.”
“You mean Waipio Valley?”
“I mean Waimanu Valley.”
She’d never heard of the place before. He walked up the weedy slope toward the trail.
She followed him. “Can you help me get out of here?”
He stopped, so she paused, too.
He turned his face to her. “I can take you to Waimanu Valley. I’m camping there.”
“Really?” Hope surged in her chest. He’s got to be the one, she thought.