After a long day of hiking through the Copland Valley, the seventh stop on in Kelly Siskind’s CHASING CRAZY excerpt hop rewards us with a dip in the hot springs scattered throughout the area.
Join Nina and Sam on their 
adventures through New Zealand by following along with the excerpt hop! The first day highlights Auckland. Check out the excerpt below and enter to win a signed copy and an advanced copy of Kelly Siskind’s upcoming book!
Follow along with the excerpt hop to follow Nina and Sam through New Zealand:
- Day One, February 29th: Grown Up Fangirl – Auckland
- Day Two, March 1st: Smexy Books – Pahia
- Day Three, March 2nd: Alexa Loves Books – Waipu
- Day Four, March 3rd: Lost in Literature – Rotorua
- Day Five, March 4th: New Adult Addiction – Mount Tongariro
- Day Six, March 5th: Harlequin Junkie – Nelson
- Day Seven, March 6th: The Book Bellas – Copland Track
- Day Eight, March 7th: Fangirlish – Christchurch
Stop #7 – Coplan Track:
“Is this a phobia thing? ’Cause I think I’ve conquered most of them. And I’m excited to cook dinner tonight. Don’t go ruining the moment by scarring me with your phobia-slaying skills. You’ve done some permanent damage.”
“You’ll thank me later. And yes, this is a phobia thing, but it’s also something I’d like to do. So you know—two birds, one stone.”
He grins like Lucifer himself.
There’s a break in the bush ahead, and we enter a clearing with a few shallow- looking ponds, lush green mountains rising behind them. Every new landscape in New Zealand tops the last. More dramatic, more breathtaking. It’s no wonder Lord of the Rings was filmed here. Where else could you find this otherworldly imagery?
He leads us to a rocky outcrop, turns, and pins me with his warm gaze. “Keep your eyes on me, Canada.” He points two fingers at my eyes, then at his. “Your focus right here. Got it?”
I tense my elbows to my sides, my knee bouncing restlessly. Nothing looks odd about this place. There aren’t any people here, no audience to witness whatever phobia he has it in his head I should eradicate. “This isn’t cool. I need some warning. Some kind of a hint.”
He bends down to kiss me, slow and sweet and perfect. With our lips still touching he says, “Trust me.” I will until the end of days. “Eyes on mine,” he says again.
I gulp.
Next thing I know, he’s removing his top and tossing it on the ground next to his small pack. When his fingers reach for the fly of his hiking shorts, I whip my head around sure thousands of people will appear.
“Hey. Nina. Eyes here.” He cups my chin until we’re face to face. “These are hot springs, okay? We’re going into them. You and me. Together.”
“Bathing suit?” I manage.
He shakes his head, that darn smile curving his kissable lips. “Gymnophobia— your fear of being naked in public. With your track record, I thought it was an important one to conquer.”
I feel the blush creeping up my neck, splotches no doubt forming. Did the sun get hotter? “What if people show up?”
“That’s kind of the point. But you’re with me. I’ve got you. And it’s not abnormal to go naked into a hot spring. It’s an actual thing people do. So as I said, keep your eyes on mine.”
A few minutes later, he’s buck naked in front of me, his priapism at attention in broad daylight while I try to remember why I lied about my period and haven’t allowed all that manly perfection to fill me up.
“Nina. Eyes.”
Where am I supposed to look? Is he frickin’ serious?
“Nina,” he says again.
I peel my gaze away from his thick flesh, sure I’ve burnt a hole through my underwear. “Okay, what now?”
“Now it’s your turn.”
I’ve fallen for the one guy on the planet hell-bent on throwing me smack dab in the middle of the most embarrassing situations. I am head over heels for his mayhem-inducing self.
About CHASING CRAZY
“With an endearingly awkward female protagonist, a swoon-worthy male love interest, and Siskind’s superb storytelling, this is one of the best New Adult contemporary romances I’ve read to date.” – USA Today bestselling author K.A. Tucker
Dear Mom & Dad, I dropped out of school. I’m going backpacking. Sorry. Love you both.
At nineteen, Nina has endured two lifetime’s worth of humiliation. Tired of waiting for it to get better, she decides to get going – across the globe to New Zealand. There she soon faces what she most fears: a super sexy guy ready to be Nina’s next mistake.
Once Sam’s life was all about having fun. That was before the accident. Now his friends have bailed and his world is broken. But when a gorgeous girl on his flight looks at him with passion instead of pity, Sam feels his old self coming back to life.
Now traveling together, Nina and Sam know this isn’t just a fling. They’re falling fast, hard, and deep. More than anything, Sam wants Nina to forget her fears. But to help her do that he must reveal his own painful secret-and risk Nina never seeing him the same way again.
CHASING CRAZY is available now – add it to your Goodreads list here!
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Giveaway
Want to win a signed copy of CHASING CRAZY and a digital ARC of Kelly Siskind’s upcoming release, MY PERFECT MISTAKE? Enter via the Rafflecopter below!
About Kelly Siskind
A small-town girl at heart, Kelly moved from the city to open a cheese shop with her husband in Northern Ontario. When she’s not neck deep in cheese or out hiking, you can find her, notepad in hand, scribbling down one of the many plot bunnies bouncing around in her head.
She laughs at her own jokes and has been known to eat her feelings—Gummy Bears heal all. She’s also an incurable romantic, devouring romance novels into the wee hours of the morning.
She is represented by Stacey Donaghy of the Donaghy Literary Group.
2015 Golden Heart® Finalist
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I conquered that particular hike when I travelled New Zealand sixteen years ago. It was challenging, but sinking into the hot springs at the end were worth it. If you haven’t read Chasing Crazy yet, spoiler alert: there’s a very sexy scene that follows the above!