Release Day Blitz - Six Degrees of Separation by Amanda Mackey

Six Degrees of SeparationAmanda Mackey
Genre: RomancePublisher: Amanda MackeyDate of Publication: 5th October, 2024ASIN:  B0DGCL3C32Number of pages: 223Word Count: 62,855
Tagline: What if the distance between you and your soulmate was 6 people?
Book Description: 
What do you do when you find yourself in a midlife crisis at forty after leaving an abusive marriage?
You buy a cheap villa in Italy and leave everything you knew behind to live in a remote town, perched on top of a hill, with nothing but a suitcase full of clothing.
Oh, and did I mention the only Italian word I know is ciao?
I question my sanity as I sit at forty thousand feet, seven hours into the flight.
But as soon as I reach my destination, I realize I've made the right decision.
My villa is everything I hoped for, apart from needing some TLC, but with my divorce money, I plan on turning it into a home. My home. My sanctuary.
When I find a cabinet in the garage left by the previous elderly owner, with a letter inside, I get my real estate agent and only acquaintance to translate it for me.
What she reveals is insane to say the least.
The letter is from a woman in search of her soulmate who had heard about a theory called Six Degrees of Separation. A crazy notion that everyone on the planet is connected by six people.
Method: Send out six letters to people you know who when forward them to six people they know. Continue the process six times and it'll reach your intended person.
By some miracle, the woman managed to meet the great love of her life and live happily ever after.
So, when my agent and budding friend talks me into testing the theory, I'm not expecting anything to happen. It can't be that easy, right? Plus, I don't know six people in Italy.But she does.
And so, we send out the letters, partly as a joke and partly to see if it actually works.
But in the meantime, fate intervenes.
It's in the form of a younger man who steals my breath. A man I never saw coming.
It would seem we're not connected by six people, but two.
What then happens to the handsome stranger who replies to my letter?

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Excerpt:

Avery handsome waiter approaches us, all masculine energy and charm. With hisarrival comes stronger pinpricks under my skin. It’s akin to getting zapped inwinter from static. But as I glance around the restaurant, everyone else iscarrying on as normal so I sit and try to act normal as I look up at the sexyas sin man. I’d peg him as thirty perhaps. Ebony, silky hair, styled back offhis face. Deep eyes, Roman nose and full lips. What is it with Italian men? Arethey all attractive at this age?

Myeyes fully appraise him as my pulse jackhammers. My neck feels flushed, causingbeads of sweat to form. God, can he see my reaction? I’m mesmerized like ahormonal teen, riveted to the spot.

Hisfull smile adds to his beauty and for a moment even Bianca remains mute as hegreets us. There’s a presence about him I can’t define. It’s that certainsomething that ‘just is’. The X Factor. Energy is pouring off him and I’m inthe line of fire. Can someone please bring me a cold glass of water? Or anindustrial fan?

Shequickly recovers though and offers a ‘ciao’ which I robotically mimic,enthralled by his rugged beauty up close. The flickering light of the candle onour table, catches his high cheek bones and full mouth, stealing my attentionfor way too long. His short-sleeved black shirt fails to cover a tattoo whichdisappears up his forearm.

“Doyou speak English?” Bianca asks for my benefit, a little too loudly might Iadd. When I peek at her, she’s wearing a knowing expression, right eyebrowraised, lips tipped up. Her foot taps mine under the table. When did she beginstaring at me like that? Probably when I answered him like Siri.

“Ofcourse. I’m fluent. I’ve been learning it since high school. Would you like adrink first?” That voice. Every syllable and word hit me front and center. Thetone sounds like a deep lullaby I could be rocked to sleep with. Sheesh. Whatis happening with me tonight? Am I hormonal? My menstrual cycle is on point, myperiod not due for another two weeks so it can’t be that. If this heat doesn’tsettle down, I’ll need to step into the bathroom to splash cold water on myface. I’m pretty sure the restaurant is air-conditioned too.

Ilook back to the waiter who is blatantly ignoring Bianca and watching me withhis shockingly beautiful eyes. Eyes one could stare into if they wished to findall the answers of the universe. Eyes which see right through you and invoke asense of belonging. As if you’ve seen them before. Familiar. Comforting. Ones Iwant to dive into and never leave.

They’returning me into a hot mess. I need to get my act together. I’m acting so out ofcharacter. Like a schoolgirl, not a forty-year-old divorcee. My hands fidget onmy lap as I glance around the room. It’s not big. A cozy, intimate space withguests lined up outside the door like we were moments ago. I count the tables.Fifteen. That’s all. I’m guessing they need to expand soon. Either that, orthey want to keep it the way it is.

Myeyes are drawn back to Mr. Handsome as he flicks his attention from Bianca andback to me again. It truly is getting too unbearably hot in here.

“Twoglasses of your best wine. And would it be possible to have a garlicbruschetta?”

“Sure.Let me get that for you.” Finally he turns and saunters back to the kitchen,leaving me with heated cheeks and a flutter in my belly. But as soon as he’sgone, the temperature cools back down to normal. That’s strange. Is he runninga fever? Does his body temperature run abnormally high all the time?

“Maybehe’s the one,” Bianca laughs. “He was checking you out.”

“Andclearly younger than me. He was probably just being friendly to the tourist.”

But I doubt my own words. Men don’t makeprolonged eye contact if they aren’t interested. Pity we’re leaving the dayafter tomorrow. I’d probably come back just to see his face again. A girl candream. But how can he possibly be the one? Not the first hot Italian guy tospeak to me. It couldn’t be that easy.

About the Author:
Amanda Mackey was born in NZ and moved to Australia as a child with her family. She’s been living in sunny Queensland ever since. An avid reader as a child, writing became an extension of that. She wrote her first book in her twenties, but it would take a further sixteen years to get her book published. That first book was the catalyst for her writing career, and she now has penned book number twenty. 
Amanda is both traditionally, and self-published and writes in multiple genres. She hopes to make writing her full time career. 
Next year Amanda and the cover model on Six Degrees of Separation, Alejandro Salomone who plays Nico in the book, are travelling to Italy, where the book is set, to film some of the scenes so stay tuned for that!
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