I Loved You Yesterday - Book Tour and Giveaway

I Loved You Yesterday
The Trading Heartbeats Trilogy Book 1
by Julie Navickas
Genre: Contemporary Romantic Suspense 

Secrets always have a way of coming out.

Mavis Benson made a huge mistake. Scratch that--colossal mistake. Twice. Sleeping with her high school sweetheart’s twin brother definitely wasn’t part of the plan… nor was falling in love with him.

But that wasn’t the only complication Mavis faced. When an unplanned pregnancy upends her life at seventeen, Mavis skips town to spare her boyfriend, Josh Templeton, from the fallout. With only a letter of apology, she disappears, but not before confiding her secret to Josh’s brother, Austin.

When Austin resurfaces in her life years later, he brings the past to Mavis’s doorstep. Josh wants her back, Austin isn’t willing to surrender, and the path to happiness isn’t clear. Caught between both men, Mavis must choose between the brother for whom she broke her own heart, and the brother who picked up the pieces.

I LOVED YOU YESTERDAY is a heart-pounding reveal of best kept secrets. The truth is never easy, and neither is putting down this page turner. Fans of Nora Roberts and K.G. Fletcher will want to get a copy of I LOVED YOU YESTERDAY.

~Winner of the ASSOCIATION FOR WOMEN IN COMMUNICATIONS CLARION AWARD.~

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​Austin pulled back, his breathing heavy. The cologne on the collar of his shirt intertwined with the scent of coffee—sandalwood and Columbian coffee beans fusing in her nostrils.
Mavis opened her eyes, meeting his icy blue gaze six inches away. She stared, finding more in his eyes than she’d ever witnessed before—more than the passion that fueled their relationship.
“My brother sees you as the same girl he loved back in high school,” he whispered. “He wants you to move home, into his house, and ready to bake cookies with a ring on your finger. He’ll pretend the last ten years never happened.”
She pressed a hand over his chest, pushing to increase the distance, but his hold held firm. “Austin…”
“I see you, Princess, the new you. The you that survived. That’s the woman I want, the one who hops on a plane in the middle of the night. The one who loses bets and puts herself out into the world. The one who solves problems, and figures shit out, never one to admit defeat. I want the woman who thrives.” His hand pressed hers into the beat of his heart. “That’s the woman I want, the one I fell in love with in a hotel room in Chicago.”
Her lungs didn’t want to work, each breath held captive in her throat. The love spell he’d cast dizzied her brain, fogging her ability to think. She blinked, staring blankly at the profession of love tumbling from his lips—from the lips of her friend turned… lover?
“You don’t love me, Austin,” she mumbled, pushing away from the hold he held over her.
His eyes closed, releasing her from the challenge. “The hell I don’t, Mavs.” He slumped in his seat, his fingers kneading his forehead. “You let Josh love you because he loves the memory of you, a girl you used to like.” He snorted. “But me? You can’t even fathom my feelings for you because you don’t love yourself as you are today.” He pointed to her, his finger shaking. “And until you realize how fucking incredible you are…”
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Julie Navickas is an award-winning, nationally recognized contemporary romance novelist, known for her keen ability to tell heart-wrenching, second-chance love stories through relatable characters with humility, humor, and heroism. She is also an award-winning university instructor and serves as the executive director of The Writing Champions Project. Julie earned master’s degrees in both organizational communication and English studies with an emphasis in book history, as well as a bachelor’s degree in public relations, graduating cum laude from Illinois State University.


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What inspired you to write this book?
In 2008, while enrolled in an advanced writing for mass media course in graduate school, I was asked to write a full-length film script as my final project. The work I completed was a total trash fire, but the characters and their stories stayed with me for well over a decade. And when the moment came and I spoke the words, “I’m going to write a book”, the first thing I did was return to this same story because the characters never truly left my heart.

I still have the film script I wrote and credit the Trading Heartbeats trilogy to this initial assignment. Without it, I’m unsure what my life would look like right now!


What can we expect from you in the future?
As of August 23rd, I Loved You Yesterday, book one in the Trading Heartbeats trilogy will release to the world. Closely following this is I Love You Today, book two on November 8, 2022. And then in April of 2023, you’ll see I’ll Love You Tomorrow, the final book in the trilogy!

Before I started writing this third book in the trilogy, I had every intention of leaving this series and starting something new. But the more I invested in this final story, the more I started to see a standout secondary character who could hold her own in a single novel. So, while I can’t promise anything yet, I do foresee a stand-a-lone spinoff novel in the future!


Can you tell us a little bit about the characters in I Loved You Yesterday?
Yes! I Loved You Yesterday is a second-chance romance with a complicated love triangle. Meet the three main characters:

Mavis Benson is a troubled, hopeless romantic drifting through life with her heart in the past. At seventeen she left home to save her boyfriend, Joshua Templeton from the fallout of an unplanned pregnancy. One to always sacrifice herself for those she loves, she struggles to find her own place in the world and lets her heart lead her choices.

Dr. Joshua Templeton is professionally a success in his career as an OB-GYN, but a failure as a husband. After his wife cheats on him with the neighbor, Josh wallows and can think of nothing more than his high-school sweetheart and the disappearing act she pulled a decade prior. A sucker for true love, Josh can’t help but define the words, you never forget your first love.

Austin Templeton is a successful divorce lawyer on the fast track to the top at a L.A. based law firm. With little interest in romantic commitment, Austin breezes through life, content to focus on his career. But when his twin brother’s former flame reappears in their lives, his heart and head compete for the truth. The world’s best secret keeper, Austin struggles between loyalty and love.


What did you enjoy most about writing this book?
As a college instructor of public relations and journalism, I write (and teach my students) with a specific purpose for a target audience. The writing I do is strategic with little room for creativity. So, when I sat down to write a romance novel, I was blown away by the creative freedom the process afforded me. While I love storytelling, the part most enjoyable for me was the space to focus on writing emotion, character development, and relationships—without one ounce of intentional information sharing!

How did you come up with the title of the book?
I can’t write with music on. So, while some writers swear by a playlist, I personally cannot identify. But I am an advocate for using music to inspire. When I first started this journey, I turned to my favorite elder emo playlist and drew inspiration from my favorite bands like Quietdrive, Yellowcard, A Newfound Glory, and Mayday Parade. The emo vibe led me in the right direction reflecting on past love and lost chances, and I Loved You Yesterday was born.

As the manuscript evolved and six characters emerged as leading roles, it was easy to name the remaining books to complete the trilogy!

Who designed your book covers?
Shel with Fantasia Frog Designs

What is your favorite part of this book and why?
I loved writing every scene in this book, but I think my favorite part is the final chapter. Josh and Mavis overcome so much to be together, but in the end, their love wins, and they find their happy ending. It was a pleasure to write their story and give them the happy ending they worked so hard to achieve.

If you could spend time with a character from your book, who would it be? And what would you do during that day?
When I sat down to write Josh and Mavis’s story, I had no intention of writing a love triangle. But Austin Templeton jumped off the page with his successful career and free spirt. He’s charming and likeable with a bad boy edge. And as the story progressed, his character quickly became a favorite for early readers.

And I simply adored getting to write his story. So, if I had to choose a character from my book to spend a day with, I’d choose bad boy Austin Templeton and we’d enjoy a day at Wrigley Field watching the Chicago Cubs beat the Los Angeles Dodgers (and that will make a lot more sense when I Love You Today releases on November 8th!)


Do your characters seem to hijack the story, or do you feel like you have the reigns of the story?
I felt like I had solid control over the entire trilogy, but two characters gave me a run for my money. While writing I Loved You Yesterday, Austin Templeton was meant to be an obstacle on the path to true love. And while he did play that part well, he also jumped from the page and begged for a redemption story of his own.

Similarly, (and I know I’m getting ahead of myself), Tess Browning did the same while writing I’ll Love You Tomorrow. Originally written as a temptress, her true self blossomed on the page unintentionally and she proved to be a complex character worthy of her own love story.

Convince us why you feel your book is a must read.
I get it. The romance genre is a billion-dollar industry and is saturated with books that hit on every trope imaginable. I Loved You Yesterday is a second-chance story of true love, with a sprinkle of spice and devilish temptations. Early book reviews have said:

“The author’s focused and engaging writing style will make you fall in love with the characters. The narration pulled me in from the first page, and I felt like I was part of their lives, watching everything unravel as the truth and the heartbreak played out.”

“The first book in the Trading Heartbeats trilogy, this book is a whirlwind of emotions. All characters were beautifully well-written, and they really brought out emotions that felt realistic and honest.”

“It’s a great weekend read if you’re looking for a heartwarming story of love, forgiveness, and hope. Time can never barricade love; it transcends to a higher place. I really enjoyed it and I cannot wait to read the other two books in this fabulous trilogy.”

“The characters are complex and the story itself is an emotional roller coaster that will make readers feel elated one moment and heartbroken the very next. It’s a beautiful story of true love, that will make you want to cherish your loves ones even more.”

While there are thousands of other choices on the market with similar tropes and themes, I Loved You Yesterday promises well-written and realistic emotions that drive the story forward. The characters are believable and complex and offer a fresh perspective on the path to love.


Is there a writer which brain you would love to pick for advice? Who would that be and why?
I’d go straight to the source and speak to the Queen of Romance herself, Nora Roberts.


Fun Facts/Behind the Scenes/Did You Know?'-type tidbits about the author, the book or the writing process of the book.
I’m a plotter. I know that about myself now after completing my third novel. But when I wrote I Loved You Yesterday, I embodied the spirit of a pantser. Mavis was my star character and when I introduced her on the page and a love triangle appeared, I didn’t know which Templeton twin she would end up with. 

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