Earlier in my career, I was publishing three books each year. It was a grueling schedule that I do not miss. That said, I do miss having multiple new releases each year. There is a little thrill any time the culmination of months’ worth of work gets into readers’ hands. Now that I release only one book per year, I have to wait a long time to enjoy that little buzz. But the wait is over! TAKE IT FROM ME is finally out, and I hope readers enjoy this story of unlikely friends. 
I’m also very grateful to author Virginia Kantra for her kind words (pictured here) and for author Camille Pagan’s support, who said, “Clever, insightful, and brimming with empathy, Take It from Me is Jamie Beck at her best. The story of two very different neighbors closely guarding secrets who have more in common than either woman can imagine, Beck’s latest novel is a potent reminder that we are able to know the interior lives of those we care about—if only we can find the courage to ask.”
I hope, if you are looking for a quick read with slightly over-the-top characters and a heartfelt story, you’ll pick up TAKE IT FROM ME this week. It’s available digitally, in paper, and in audio formats, so take your pick.
Wendy Moore hides her collection of pilfered bric-a-brac from everyone, including her husband. He thinks she licked her kleptomania in therapy more than a decade ago. Therapy did help, as did focusing her attention on motherhood. But now Wendy’s gardening and furniture-refinishing hobbies fill up only so much of the day, leaving the recent empty nester lonely and anxious—a combination likely to trigger her little problem. She needs a project, fast. Luckily, Harper Ross—a single, childless younger woman in desperate need of highlights—just moved in next door.
The only thing Harper wants to change is the writer’s block toppling her confidence and career. Then a muse comes knocking. Sensing fodder for a new antagonist, Harper plays along with Wendy’s “helpful” advice while keeping her career a secret so Wendy keeps talking. Sure, she’s torn about profiting off her neighbor’s goodwill—especially when Wendy’s matchmaking actually pans out—but Harper’s novel is practically writing itself.
Just as a real friendship begins to cement, their deceptions come to light, threatening Wendy’s and Harper’s futures and forcing them to reconcile who they are with who they want to be. Easier said than done.
