by Sandra Antonelli

You may know, on a deep cognitive level, that you are 5 billion times bigger than that itsy, bitsy spider on the garden spout, that thunder is just God bowling with the angels, and that the elevator you are trapped in with your new boss is not going to run out of oxygen, which is what Olivia tries to explain to wigging out claustrophobic Emerson in my new smart-ass romantic comedy Driving in Neutral.

Everyone’s afraid of something. So what scares you? Odds are it’s one of these Top Ten Phobias.

1. Arachnophobia: The Fear of Spiders, Research shows arachnophobia affects more women than men. No surprises there.

   

2. Acrophobia: The Fear of Heights.

   

3. Cynophobia: the fear of dogs.

   

4. Agoraphobia: The fear of crowded places or any place where a quick exit is not possible.
   

5. Claustrophobia: The fear of confined spaces (like elevators)

   

6. Coulrophobia: The fear of clowns. Seriously, WHO thinks clowns are fun?

   
   

    

7. Ophidiophobia (or Herpetophobia) The fear of snakes, which, if you live in the Land Down Under, where 9 of the 10 most venomous snakes in the world are found, makes good sense.

   

8. Aichmophobia (or Trypanophobia) The fear of needles or sharp pointy things that can stick a person.

   

9. Aviatophobia or Pteromerhanophobia: The fear of flying. Oddly, when you ask people what’s scary they often say they are afraid of the plane crashing, rather than the actual flying part.

   

10. Mysophobia: The fear of germs. It’s flu season, kids, cough and blow responsibly. And wash your hands.

    

What scares me? War, loud noises, large crowds that can squish me, and xenophobia (yes, I have a phobia about people who fear people from other cultures and places), but I am not afraid of elevators.

A new, quick-witted, quip-heavy romance for grown-ups from Sandra Antonelli about facing your fears — because love is the greatest risk of all.

Levelheaded Olivia Regen walks away from her car-racing career and the wreckage of a bad marriage to take on new work that’s far removed from the twists of racetrack. Her new life is about control, calm and the good friends that she adores.

But her first task on her very first day involves getting up close and too personal with her claustrophobic boss, alone in a broken elevator. Her unconventional solution for restoring his equilibrium shocks them both and leaves Olivia shaken.

Determined to stick to her plan, Olivia drives headlong into work and planning her best friend’s wedding, leaving no room for kissing, elevators, or workplace relationships. But Emerson is not one to be out-manoeuvred. Can he convince Olivia that her fear of falling in love again is just another kind of claustrophobia – one that is destined to leave them both lonely?