If you’re one of the many readers who follows my Facebook page, you probably already know that I have a new novella coming out on Tuesday, October 10, called City of Yes. (It’s already available for pre-order in some formats – just $1.99 – follow the link to grab yours!)

What is a Novella?

Novellas are longer than short stories, but shorter than full length novels (generally between 7500 and 40,000 words). City of Yes is about 32,000 words, compared to the usual 85-90,000 for each full-length novel I’ve written so far. I hope you’ll find it a welcome distraction from these hard times, and that it will allow you to escape for an evening, or a couple of relaxing lunch breaks (we all need those!).

This book is the first in a series called Occupational Hazards, shorter romances in which the story stems from, or takes place in, the heroine’s workplace. You’ll be able to read these books in any order you like, knowing you’ll get a fun, slightly-steamy story you can consume in one or two sittings.

The Story & Setting

City of Yes follows the story of Charlotte Bates, a top-notch marriage proposal planner–yes, that is a real job!–when she finds out that her newest client is Jared Kunitz, a close college friend she hasn’t seen since she rejected him seven years earlier. Needless to say, hilarity, awkwardness and romantic sparks ensue…

As you may be able to guess from the title and the cover image, the city of San Francisco is more than a setting in the book – it’s a secondary character. You’ll get to see a few of the sights that make SFO such a unique and beautiful city as you read.

A Note from Me

The passage copied here is actually from the Author’s Note/Acknowledgements section of the new book. I thought you might be interested in a little of what I’ve been working on lately, and about my history with San Francisco.

Those of you who follow this blog and Facebook page will already know that the past couple of years have brought me adventures, a few trials, and one or two small triumphs. Since the publication of Every Other Saturday in August 2015, I’ve been juggling transitions in and out of the full-time work force, the re-publication of The Marriage Pact series by St. Martin’s Press, and the ordinary hassles and joys of raising two small kids in a busy, messy house. Believe it or not, I have also been working on a couple of bigger (read: more ambitious) projects that I hope will one day see the light of… well, day. In the meantime, my friends and fans who have been kind enough to tell me they enjoy my work and would like to hear more from me have been patiently waiting and re-reading. (And sometimes emailing to remind me how patiently you are waiting and re-reading.) I love you guys. You inspire me not only to work hard, but to try to make every story I write better than the ones that came before.

During my adventures of the last few years, I’ve been lucky enough to make it out to San Francisco a few times, and to be reminded that while I only lived there for half a minute (two months, to be precise, in my early 20s), there’s a reason it always feels like a second home to me. Despite being a girl with deep Southern roots, I was born in San Jose, California, while my parents lived there in the mid-1970s. Even though we were back in Georgia before I was five, I like to think there’s a little West Coast in my DNA. Whatever it is, the air in San Francisco feels right in my lungs. Know what I mean? It’s a beautiful city with amazing culture and public art (look for the Hearts in San Francisco sculptures and other landmarks in this story). Of course, I haven’t remotely done the city justice in this little novella, and I took a bit of artistic license where necessary. (I’m sorry to report that the Little Blue Shack is entirely made up, as is the hillside hiker’s restaurant on the IHRT). But I hope the story transports you there for a few minutes as you follow Charlotte and Jared around the City by the Bay. Whoa-oooh-oh-oh-oh…

As always, thanks so much for reading. If you do buy and read City of Yes, and you enjoy it, I’d be very grateful if you took a few minutes to post a review on the City of Yes Amazon product page or Goodreads. Thank you!

MJ Pullen

M.J. Pullen is a distracted writer and the mom of two boys in Roswell, Georgia, where she is absolutely late for something important right now. Her books include quirky romantic comedies and playful women's fiction. She blogs erratically with writing advice, random observations, and reflections on raising very loud kids and dogs. Join her Distracted Readers newsletter list for updates, free content, giveaways and more.