I’m happy to welcome back author Bobbie Candas. Today, Bobbie shares her new release, Half Baked Women: The Reheat”.

Blurb

That first year of college, they thought they’d done it all

Twenty years later, they’re not done learning.

In 1971, they were just four girls starting their journey at the University of Texas in Austin. Twenty years later, they reunite in San Antonio along the Riverwalk, seemingly successful and happy. But beneath the surface, cracks from their past still linger.

That first wild and frivolous freshman year, Carney, Breeze, Margo, and Nicki navigate together through romances, jealousy, and risky habits, trying to find themselves while stumbling into adulthood. But years later, as they come together for a three-day reunion, they are reminded that maybe they still have something to learn from each other. Reckless events unfold, forcing them to confront the mistakes and secrets they thought they left behind.

Half Baked Women: The Reheat takes us back to a time of carefree abandon and easy friendships, where the journey of self-discovery was filled with adventure, road trips, chance encounters, laughter, and tears. If that sounds intriguing, jump in and enjoy the ride.

Excerpt

Checking the time, she grabbed her planner and banged it against the steering wheel in anger, knowing she was being totally irresponsible…again. So much for making a good impression on her old friends. Carney was late and now looked exactly like what she was, last night’s leftovers.

It was to be a reunion of sorts among four friends. Friends who’d met their freshman year of college, but it had been almost twenty years since the four had all gotten together at one time. Carney had hung out with each of the other three women several times over the years, and a few months back, she became inspired, thinking a gathering of the four of them would be really fun. She’d been the one to organize this weekend party and cajole everyone into coming. But unbeknownst to Carney, it would be the weekend that would set her life in a different direction. One she hadn’t planned on and could never have imagined. After all, it was just a simple gathering of old friends.

Carney briskly walked into the baggage pickup area attempting to finger comb her wild hair while looking about for a familiar face. Why had she gone to all this trouble to pull these women together? Estranged people she had bonded with years ago. Yet, for some reason, for Carney, that bond still held, tethering the four of them together in her memories.

Breeze Smith’s flight was the first to arrive. And Carney was now already forty-five minutes late. Darling Breeze—super friendly but always a force to be reckoned with, especially when you poked the bear.

Author Bio and Links

I’m a Texas girl: Grew up in San Antonio, went to school at UT in Austin, and graduated with a degree in Journalism. I eventually settled in Dallas, where I raised a husband, a few cats, and two kids. My husband, the children, and the cats will probably disagree on who raised whom, but I’m always a sucker for a robust discussion. For years, I was involved in retail management, but I have untangled myself from the world of clothing and shoes and immersed myself in my true passion — writing fiction and delving deep into the lives of my characters.

I do come up for air occasionally, and I’ve been known to imbibe in a few glasses of wine and have been occasionally spotted forking into decadent desserts while gathering with friends and family. Put me on a shady deck or an umbrella-covered patio, with a table full of opinionated know-it-alls, a spicy margarita, and I’m in my happy place. I also enjoy trips to distant places, and most recently have been enjoying summers along the Aegean coast of Turkey.

But I’ll always make time for writing and reading, with a stack of novels ready and waiting on my nightstand, and a few always sleeping patiently on my Kindle. I bounce around genres, and I’m usually up for a good recommendation. So, let me know what you’ve enjoyed reading lately. I can be reached on Instagram, at my FB author page–Bobbie Candas, or on my Amazon Author Central page.

Half Baked Women: The Reheat is my sixth novel. All available in E-book, paperback, or KDP

I look forward to hearing from you!

Instagram | Facebook | Goodreads | Universal Buy Link

Giveaway

Bobbie Candas will be awarding a $25 Amazon/Barnes & Noble gift card to a randomly drawn winner. Find out more here.

Follow Bobbie on the rest of her Goddess Fish tour here.

Four women. Two timelines. Two cities.

A bold structure, but one that author Ms. Candas embraces with confidence. She skillfully drew me into the lives of the protagonists—Carney, Breeze, Margo, Nicki—who populate this well-plotted novel. Each voice feels distinct, textured, and real. Shifting between the 1970s and the 1990s can easily become confusing, but here the transitions are seamless.

One of the most inspired decisions was the use of music-themed chapter headings, each paired with a brief preamble. These openings effectively set the tone before the narrative unfolds.

Here’s one of my favorites:

Moving On
Twenty Years Earlier Austin 1972

Age nineteen? A crazy time. Everything is so fluid, changeable, almost from week to week. One part of your brain, almost child-like. While the other side is demanding that you exhibit a grown-up maturity. What seems to make sense one day is quickly disregarded the next. Something you loved fiercely is thrown aside without much concern. But years later, those discarded thoughts, people, and plans may come back to haunt you.

By the final page, I was reluctant to leave these women. They had become close to my heart, even though they were just characters.

If you enjoy reading women’s fiction rich with layered characters, emotional depth, and a narrative that refuses to let go, I highly recommend Half Baked Women: The Reheat.