Last summer I had the pleasure of being on the blog tour for One Tiny Lie.  I absolutely loved Ten Tiny Breaths, so I was VERY excited to be on this tour.  OTL blew me away more than TTB did – and that’s saying a lot!  I was lucky enough to get an interview with Ashton and Livie…and of course I had to sneak in a few questions for K.A. too! 🙂

Livie has always been the stable one of the two Cleary sisters, handling her parents’ tragic death and Kacey’s self-destructive phase with strength and maturity. But underneath that exterior is a little girl hanging onto the last words her father ever spoke to her. “Make me proud,” he had said. She promised she would…and she’s done her best over the past seven years with every choice, with every word, with every action.

Livie walks into Princeton with a solid plan, and she’s dead set on delivering on it: Rock her classes, set herself up for medical school, and meet a good, respectable guy that she’s going to someday marry. What isn’t part of her plan are Jell-O shots, a lovable, party animal roommate she can’t say ‘no’ to, and Ashton, the gorgeous captain of the men’s rowing team. Definitely him. He’s an arrogant ass who makes Livie’s usually non-existent temper flare and everything she doesn’t want in a guy. Worse, he’s best friends and roommates with Connor, who happens to fits Livie’s criteria perfectly. So why does she keep thinking about Ashton?

As Livie finds herself facing mediocre grades, career aspirations she no longer thinks she can handle, and feelings for Ashton that she shouldn’t have, she’s forced to let go of her last promise to her father and, with it, the only identity that she knows.

We were lucky enough to get an Ashton Alternate POV Scene – check it out here!

Have you read the other books in the Ten Tiny Breaths Series?

Kacey Cleary’s whole life imploded four years ago in a drunk-driving accident. Now she’s working hard to bury the pieces left behind—all but one. Her little sister, Livie. Kacey can swallow the constant disapproval from her born-again aunt Darla over her self-destructive lifestyle; she can stop herself from going kick-boxer crazy on Uncle Raymond when he loses the girls’ college funds at a blackjack table. She just needs to keep it together until Livie is no longer a minor, and then they can get the hell out of Grand Rapids, Michigan.

But when Uncle Raymond slides into bed next to Livie one night, Kacey decides it’s time to run. Armed with two bus tickets and dreams of living near the coast, Kacey and Livie start their new lives in a Miami apartment complex, complete with a grumpy landlord, a pervert upstairs, and a neighbor with a stage name perfectly matched to her chosen “profession.” But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle all of them. What she can’t handle is Trent Emerson in apartment 1D.

Kacey doesn’t want to feel. She doesn’t. It’s safer that way. For everyone. But sexy Trent finds a way into her numb heart, reigniting her ability to love again. She starts to believe that maybe she can leave the past where it belongs and start over. Maybe she’s not beyond repair.

But Kacey isn’t the only one who’s broken. Seemingly perfect Trent has an unforgiveable past of his own; one that, when discovered, will shatter Kacey’s newly constructed life and send her back into suffocating darkness.

You can read my review and an interview with Trent and K.A. Tucker here.

Owning a strip club isn’t the fantasy most guys expect it to be. With long hours, a staff with enough issues to keep a psych ward in business, and the police regularly on his case, twenty-nine year old Cain is starting to second guess his unspoken mission to save the women he employs. And then blond, brown-eyed Charlie Rourke walks through his door, and things get really complicated. Cain abides by a strict “no sleeping with the staff” rule. But being around Charlie challenges Cain’s self-control…and it’s been a long time since any woman has done that.

Twenty-two-year old Charlie Rourke needs a lot of money, really fast, in order to vanish before it’s too late. Taking her clothes off for men makes her stomach curl but Charlie tells herself that at least she’s putting her acting and dancing skills to good use. And though her fellow dancers seem eager to nab their sexy, sophisticated, and genuinely caring boss, she’s not interested. After all, Charlie Rourke doesn’t really exist—and the girl pretending to be her doesn’t need to complicate her life with romance.

Unfortunately, Charlie soon discovers that developing feelings for Cain is inevitable, that those feelings may not be unrequited—but losing him when he finds out what she’s involved with will be more painful than any other sentence awaiting her.

Check out what happens when I got Ashton and Livie all to myself… 🙂

Wow…wow wow wow wow wow…yeah…I don’t know how to handle my emotions right now. Of course I’m excited – hello?!?! I’m one-upping my TTB interview. How? Well…this time I’m getting a three-for-one special! Not just KA and Ashton but I’m also getting Livie too. SQUEEE!!! I think I love Livie just as much as Ashton. Okay…I prolly love Livie more.

Anywho…I arrive at ‘Chez Ryder’ in time for my interview, march straight up to the door with the entire mindset of having a perfectly calm and professional interview. Yeah right! I’m practically skipping with glee all the way to the front door and I might be bouncing as I wait for someone to answer. First surprise: K.A. answers! Squeee!!! (#2 for those of your keeping count) All professionalism is completely thrown out the window as I all but tackle her in a huge hug. I’ve met her once, that means we’re besties, right? :-\ Luckily she’s very accepting of my overly friendly hello and kindly laughs. After exchanging pleasantries, she leads me out back to the glorious deck I’ve read so much about. And my pulse starts to pick up as I see the cutest couple ever…Ashton and Livie *sigh*

They are sitting at a wooden picnic table, Ashton is straddling the bench seat while Livie nestles as close as she can be between his legs…like two puzzle pieces. Two incredibly adorable puzzle pieces that I want to squeeze to death. I just heart them so much! As they see us approaching the door, they both stand to greet me, I reach Livie first and give her the same enthusiastic hello hug I gave K.A. (apparently it doesn’t matter if I have met you at all…I’m a hugger…be warned…), Livie is sweet and hugs me back, a giant smile on her face.

And next…is Ashton. We’ve been here, done this folks. I don’t need to re-hash my behavior with Trent. And don’t worry…I won’t fail you now, this is equally embarrassing… I lunge at him – like, I’m almost positive if he wasn’t so strong from crew, I would have knocked him over…but God bless the inventor of crew because all those muscles feel like heaven. Livie is a very very lucky girl. So…at this point, my wits decide to come back to me and I realize I’m attached to someones boyfriend and three voices are calmly laughing at me. Oh good…they know to expect this behavior, that saves me from apologizing! I decide it’s time to rip myself off Ashton, unfortunate because I do so like being affixed to him in any manner, and we all sit down at the table, Livie and Ashton back in their places and KA and I on the other side of the table.

Lisa: “I have to thank all of you so much for meeting with me today, I really appreciate it. The girls and I had so much fun with Trent last time, I was really looking forward to this interview.”

Ashton: “Of course.”

Livie: “No problem.”

Lisa: “Great…so Ashton…you get the hot seat first, you ready?”

Ashton: “Bring it on.”

Lisa: “How hard was it to see Livie with Connor? How did you do it? It was in your face, every day…OMG… :-(“

Ashton: “Brutal. Fucking brutal. Though, I had no right given my own circumstances. And the guilt was eating me up. I know people wouldn’t believe I felt guilty but I did. I just couldn’t stay away from her. I knew exactly what I was doing every time I let things happen but I kept allowing it. Yeah, I’m a selfish prick.”

Livie scoots a little closer on the bench seat, wrapping her arms around Ashton’s waist for comfort. His arm comes down around her shoulder and a sad smile graces his lips. They’re silent support of each other is touching.

Lisa: “I don’t think you’re a selfish prick, I think you were a guy in an impossible situation. Alright, happier topic, why do you want to be a pilot?”

Ashton: “Flying high in the open skies with nothing but space around you? Who wouldn’t want that?”

Lisa: “Hmm…sounds like your own little piece of freedom. So, what do you think your mom would think about Livie?”

Ashton: “She’d love her, no doubt. How could she not? How could anyone not love Livie?”

Livie snuggles even closer to Ashton and gives him a quick peck on the cheek.

Lisa: “True story…I don’t know anyone who can say they don’t love Livie. Top three things you can’t live without.”

Ashton: “I’m not a materialistic guy, despite what you may think. I don’t really care about all the stuff I have. One thing got me through these last few years and it’s crew. Now, there’s only one thing I can’t live without. Okay, she’s not a thing but I sure as hell can’t live without her.”

Ashton steals a sideways glance at Livie who is beaming at him. It’s his turn to sneak a kiss on her cheek…OMGEE! How can you not love HIM! Gah…he’s just amazing…if I didn’t love Livie so much, I’d hate her.

Lisa: Awww…isn’t he sweet Livie?

Livie: “The sweetest.”

Lisa: “You ready for your turn?”

Livie: “I think so.”

Lisa: “What’s your favorite thing about Princeton? And your favorite thing about Miami?”

Livie: “It’s nice to see the fall leaves again. I haven’t seen those in years. It reminds me of pumpkin pies and cozy fires with my parents. Miami? Miami’s home for me now. Home, when I didn’t think Kacey and I would ever belong anywhere again.”

Lisa: “Aww…well if you ever need a new home, come to Texas! 🙂 So…you sure took a liking to alcoholic beverages, high five on that by the way…”

I lean across the table and she actually reciprocates my high five with a giggle – see?? How can you not love Livie??

Lisa: “So I’m taking it that you enjoy letting out your ‘inner beast’ if you will 😉 – so what’s your drink of choice?”

Livie: “Ugh. I’m living proof of why underage drinking is a bad idea. All those hormones, no experience, and booze? Disastrous combination. I’ll admit things got a little out of control. Now that I’m back home, I’ve toned down the partying a bit. It helps that Reagan’s not around. I miss her but she’s a bit too much animal for my kind of party. I’ll still have a Jack and Coke every now and then, but not when Dan’s around. He is the law, after all. I need to respect him in his own house.”

Lisa: “What fun are hormones and no experience if you don’t add a little alcohol! Lol 😛 Well…and speaking of one of the alcohol instigators…Dr. Stayner = most brilliant man alive, just sayin’. Where do you think you would be if you hadn’t listened to him and what’s the best piece of advice he gave you?”

Livie: “Oh, Dr. Stayner. Without him? I’ve thought about that. Over and over again, I’ve wondered. I wouldn’t have had that volunteer position without his interference and so I never would have met the twins. I’d probably still be in blissful ignorance, ace’ing my classes at Princeton. I don’t know if I would have met Connor. If I did, I would’ve inevitably met Ashton and I don’t know how that would have gone. Honestly? I get sad, thinking about what would have happened had I not picked up that phone the day Stayner called me. His best advice? Aside from the pigtails, which Ashton really likes, his push to embrace ambiguity for a while put things into perspective for me. Ambiguity has never been my friend but, in this case, it allowed me to make decisions with my eyes wide open.”

Lisa: “Wow…”

I have to (and I literally do) slow golf clap for Livie. She gives me the big smile I am starting to grow accustomed to.

Lisa: “Seriously Liv, for your age – that’s pretty deep. I wish I had been half as smart as you are when I was your age. Alright, what do you think your parents would have to say about Ashton?”

Livie: “Depends on which Ashton they saw first. If it was the Ashton that stands tall and respectful when his coach speaks, I think they’d like him right away. If it’s the Ashton that I met that first night, or the second night, or the third night… I think my dad would have packed me up and shipped me away. In time, I know they’d love him, regardless. They always were very tolerant of others.”

Lisa: “Well…even at his worst, it is really hard not to love Ashton. Okay now it’s time to have fun with BOTH of you! 🙂 What are your favorite 5 qualities about the other”

Livie: “Ugh! The dreaded five qualities. Have you been talking to Stayner?”

Lisa: “Possibly…I refuse to name my sources…quit stalling :-P”

I smile at her playfully and she giggles as she turns to look at Ashton.

Livie: “Let’s see… He’s a great listener, he’s very attentive, he’s driven, he has a great sense of humor, and though most people don’t see this side of him, he’s one of the most thoughtful people you’ll ever meet.”

Lisa: “Insightful…Ashton?”

Ashton: “Her eyes, her face, her…”

Livie slaps his arm playfully and he smiles deviously at her and I’m giggling like a 5 year old – come on, that was pretty funny!

Ashton: “Kidding. Livie is the most compassionate person you’ll ever meet, to a fault. She’s also the strongest person you’ll ever meet. She’s trustworthy, despite all that happened this past year. She’s tolerant of everyone, whether they deserve it or not. And she’s kind. She showed me kindness when I didn’t deserve it.”

Lisa: “Awww…so sweet. Well, you’ve both been thru so much pain in your past, different kinds, but still…how does it feel to be at this point in your lives, to have found each other…to finally have your ‘freedom’…your ‘forever’ :-)”

Livie: “I’m still shocked by how much has changed from one year ago.”

With her loving gaze falling on Ashton, you can tell how blissfully happy she is with the way life has taken her. Ashton on the other hand has a crooked grin plastered on his insanely gorgeous face.

Ashton: “Livie feels damn good.”

Lisa: “You guys have got to stop, you’re giving me a toothache from all your sweetness. Do ya’ll have plans for anymore tattoo’s? ;-)”

Ashton: “Seeing as I have Livie’s name on me, she’s getting my name on her”

That devilish grin is back

Ashton: “And we all know exactly where it’s going…”

Livie just shakes head, giving him a coy smile of her own

Livie: “I’ve said ‘no’ a thousand times but he’s got Kacey on the bandwagon and we all know what happens when Kacey gets involved…”

Lisa: “Where do I sign up for the bandwagon? :-)”

Livie keeps shaking her head and Ashton gives me a wink

Lisa: “Okay, possibly tough question, but the gloves are coming off…the end result of where you are today is the same – what is one thing you would have possibly done/said differently from your past? No cop outs! :-P”

Livie: “I never would have dated Connor. Or I would have ended it right away. I would have been completely honest upfront. Hurting him the way I did was awful. I’m just thankful that he’s talking to me.” again.

Ashton: “If everything would have ended the same way –me, with Livie, and that other “situation” with my dad—I would have ended it with Dana the day I woke up in Livie’s room. Dana’s a nice girl. She didn’t deserve any of that. If I had a choice, I wouldn’t have been with her in the first place, though…”

Lisa: “Good, honest answers. Thank you! So, where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”

They both look at each other and smile and in unison answer…

Livie & Ashton: “Together.”

AAAAAAAAND I just fell in love with them even more.

Livie: “I’m not planning too far ahead right now. I’ve done enough of that for a while. I’m taking a few years off and just enjoying life.”

Lisa: “Good plan. Time for a little word association – give me the first thing that comes to mind…Princeton”

Ashton: “Crew”

Livie: “Ashton”

Lisa: “Jell-O Shots”

I can’t stifle my giggle at that one – Ashton smirks while Livie rolls her eyes

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Puke”

Lisa: “Regan”

Ashton: “Trouble”

Livie: “Hyper”

Lisa: “Irish”

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Dad”

Lisa: “Connor”

Ashton: “Buddy”

Livie: “Smile”

Lisa: “Tattoo’s”

Ashton: “Scars”

Livie: “Drunk”

Lisa: “Family”

Ashton: “Mom”

Livie: “Miami”

Lisa: “Ashton”

I ask, staring at Livie

Livie: “Body…”

Before I can blink, Livie slaps her hand over mouth as her face turns red – I hold back another giggle, she’s just too cute for words

Lisa: “Livie”

This time my focus is directed at Ashton

Ashton: “Love”

Lisa: “Freedom”

Ashton: “Livie”

Livie: “Ashton”

OMG I’m about to explode from the amount of love I have for these two!!! As I sit there with a goofy grin on my face looking at the pair of them, we hear some noise coming from inside the house. It appears we have company! Kacey, Trent, Storm, Dan and Ben have arrive – SWEET! Beach party! WOO! 😀 Ashton and Livie go inside to help get things ready, which gives me time to pester K.A.

Lisa: “So…you’re brilliant and when can I come live in your head?”

K.A.: “LOL. You don’t want to live in my head, trust me. It’s full of self-doubt and confusion. The squirrels are running rabid in there.”

Lisa: “That’s awesome – I love squirrels. 😛 What are three things that surprised/shocked/excited you while writing OTL“

K.A.: “Let’s see…1) How big a role Dr. Stayner ended up playing. I knew he’d be in it, however he ended up being so critical to the story. 2) The extent of cheating in this book. I knew Livie would have to make a choice between the two men but I didn’t know how long it would drag out. As the story unfolded, it became clear to me that Livie would need to make some serious mistakes before figuring out how to get back to being the Livie we all know and love, though more mature. Thinking about Ashton but doing nothing or breaking things off with Connor right away is what we all expected of Livie. For the story and for her character growth, I had to do the unthinkable and push her over that line. I had to test her character. 3) The “scenes” between Livie and Ashton. I wanted them done tastefully (anyone who knows my writing style will have picked up on the fact that I don’t use graphic language). They were extremely difficult for me to write but I feel like they turned out well.”

Lisa: Very interesting. Who did you like writing better Kacey/Trent or Livie/Ashton? 🙂

K.A.: “That’s impossible to answer. I can’t answer that 🙂 I will say Livie and Ashton were harder to write. They took a long time to get comfortable around each other.”

Lisa: “Wow…really? Hmm…again, very interesting. What scene you enjoyed writing the most? Scene that kicked your butt?”

K.A.: “My Favorite scene? The first meeting with Livie and Ashton, where Ashton slips and tells her he regretted what happened. Awkward to the nth degree! Scene that kicked my butt? The bunk bed scene. That took me two days and I do believe I was sweating through it.”

Lisa: “Both AMAZING scenes by the way…and the bunk bed scene was worth every drop of sweat. So, not that TTB wasn’t amazing and brilliant in a million different ways, but did you intentionally mean to make OTL one of the funniest books I have ever read? It was possibly one of the best surprises of my life…made me love it that much more…”

K.A.: “Really? LOL. I like to balance the humor with the serious side of things. Without the humor, OTL would have been quite depressing. I love funny characters. Putting Livie in awkward situations was probably the most fun I’ve had writing, ever. She can handle it :-)”

Lisa: “OMG Livie is a pro at awkward…she deserves a medal. So Cain is next…another pleasant surprise…giving away any details? 🙂 (I am a GREAT secret keeper… 😛 )”

K.A.: 🙂 “Yes, Cain is next. The book is called Four Seconds To Lose and it will be a duo POV between Cain and a new leading lady with one hell of a bad situation. I’ve had a lot of questions around Cain. I think people are curious to see what his story is. I can tell you that it’s dark (and if I’m saying it is dark then… eeesh). As different as OTL was from TTB, this book will be different as well. Expect to see a lot of your favorite characters again 🙂 (especially Ben and Storm).”

I clap my hands with glee – the permanent goofy grin ever present and I’m TOTALLY holding back from tackling K.A….again. Barely. 🙂

At this point, everyone spills out onto the deck with armloads of food, drinks and the pièce de résistance – Jell-O Shots! 😀 #BestInterviewEver

One Tiny Lie by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

5+++ “Jell-O Thief” “Irish” “Livie Girl” “Freedom” Kisses!!!!

OMG OMG OMG! Are you FREAKING kidding me. You’ve got to be. I loved TTB…loved it…and I was thinking, wow…it’s going to take a lot to top those emotions that you get with Kacey and Trent. HA! In my face. Big time. This book surprised me in all the best ways possible – if you think you know what to expect…you don’t, so just hang on. Oh my angsty goodness, I had no idea I was going to get as swept off my feet with this book as I did…but wow…okay…focus Lisa, you can do this.

So One Tiny Lie is Livie Cleary’s story (if you haven’t read Ten Tiny Breaths…stop the presses immediately, read it ASAP and then hop on One Tiny Lie…sound like a plan?) My Sweet…young…innocent…naïve…Livie. The girl is a saint – I mean, really, do you remember all that happened with Kacey? Of course you do…and somehow Livie survived loosing her parents, surviving her head case sister (and I say that with all the love in my heart because Kacey is the most awesome head case on the planet 🙂 ), the drama with her Aunt and Uncle, moving across the country, new school, more drama with Kacey….and she keeps up her record of never getting anything less than an A. REALLY?!?! Hello world, I feel like a complete and utter failure at life when compared to her perfection. But Livie has an excellent reason and motivation behind her perfection…seven little words… “That’s my Livie Girl. Make me proud.” The last seven words her father spoke to her. Are you crying yet? Cause I teared up typing it, let alone when I read it for the first time. *sigh*

“You’re too perfect, Livie. Everything you do, everything you say. You can do no wrong. If someone slapped you across the face, you’d apologize to them. I can’t believe you don’t deck me for some of the stuff I say. It’s like you’re not capable of getting angry. You could be the love child of Mother Teresa and Gandhi. You’re…” Kacey pauses as if searching for the right word. She settles with, “Too fucking perfect!”

So Livie is off to college, dealing with Dr. Stayner’s outlandish tactics at breaking out of her perfect shell, and of course Kacey’s assistance in this process…and what happens her first night out? She gets to experience a lot of firsts…shall we count them?
1. She gets totally wasted on Jell-O shots – first night at college is also her first time getting drunk! Woo!
2. First toga party – what a way to kick off the school year! 🙂
3. She had her first kiss ever – well, ‘had’ is a very loose term, it was kinda ‘stolen’ – there was a lot of thievery going on at the time, we’ll just call the kiss collateral damage
4. She got her first tattoo – and it was video taped for posterity and culpability purposes
Needless to say there were other epically awesome firsts had throughout the night and the next morning, but those are the top of the list and the only ones I wish to divulge without spoiling. And…it gets better.

‘I’m attracted to my drunken one-night stand, who also happens to be an unavailable whore and my kind-of boyfriend’s roommate and best friend.’

The aforementioned ‘stolen kiss’ was stolen by a Jell-O thief (told ya the kiss was collateral damage) – and let me tell you he can steal anything he wants from me as long as it involves a kiss in return. ‘…this tall, giant Adonis with dark wavy hair, tanned skin, and a body to tempt a blind nun…had his tongue in my mouth.’ Umm….with that description, I’m not seeing the problem Livie. Say thank you to the party gods and keep shooting those Jell-O shots and pray for a repeat.

“I was managing okay, thought.” He pauses. “And then the most beautiful girl on this planet punched me in the jaw.”
A small half-giggle slips out. “You deserved that, Jell-O thief.”

Gah…I’m getting bogged down, but I swear…one of the best ‘first meetings’ I have ever read…I was hooked from that point forward. And believe me…it got better…and better…and better. I was all over the board – so shocked my jaw hit the table…laughing so hard I was crying…and then of course crying and clutching my chest because I was so torn up…GAH! The ANGST people…I tell you, I was not prepared. TTB was a very emotional read for me, and I did feel some angst, but not like this. This was a level of angst I really wasn’t ready for. And all because of one…freaking…man.

“Because you’re not a one-night-girl, Irish.” Leaning in to place a kiss on my jawline, he whispers, “You’re my forever girl.”

I am literally overcome with emotion at how amazing Ashton Fucking Henley is…tears in my eyes, lump in my throat, butterflies in my belly and the insane desire to kidnap him and keep him all to myself. He’s amazing. There is no other way to describe him. Don’t get me wrong, there is a lot to not like about Ashton, but the fact that you can see past all that is wrong to all that is right, is what makes him that much more amazing. If Kacey was a head case, Ashton is a train wreck. A beautiful broken train wreck that only needs one thing to make him better….Livie. OMGEEEE! His feelings and emotions for her…they just take my breath away. You. Have. No. Idea.

‘1. I’m brilliant
2. I’m charming
3. I’m hung like a thoroughbred
4. I’ve stopped all philandering
5. I’m highly skilled, as you’ve learned the other night.

P.S. Stop staring at my hands. I know what you want me to do with them.’

The connection that is built between Ashton and Livie is beyond words for me. It wasn’t insta-love, but there was always something there for them, and they both knew it. But it wasn’t easy…it’s never easy. Oh and the ‘surprise’ factor I mentioned…well try this on for size…there’s a love triangle. Actually, it’s kind of a square, but not really? I dunno what shape you wanna call it, but I was super excited for that aspect. It all ties in with the super angst I wasn’t expecting either. And then to really boggle my mind and make me fall in love more, KA Tucker throws in some of the funniest shit I’ve ever read…perfect example…

‘My nervous giggle is the only answer I can give him. Forget? My brain went blank. I forgot about my problems, his problems, and the potential zombie apocalypse. If that’s what orgasms do, then I can’t believe people ever leave their houses. Or cars.’

First of all…#truth on the power of orgasms, for the record. Second of all, it’s out of context – but trust me when I tell you I was hysterically laughing for like 10 minutes after I read this. Oh you want another one…try this this golden nugget from Kacey…

“Sometimes you’re as graceful as a one-legged flamingo in a pit of quicksand.”

And this happened multiple times. The wit, the humor, the sarcasm – it was all spot on for me. Loved it.

So, if Kacey’s head is full of turmoil, sadness and pain….Livie’s head is full of purpose, hilarity and confusion. It’s hard to remember that Livie is 18 years old…but she doesn’t act like it. Not even close. That’s part of what and why Dr. Stayner is around and doing what he is doing – Kacey needed to be put back together, Livie needs to be set free. And going thru the process of being on her own for the first time in her life, working things out, making mistakes and figuring out who she wants to be, is a phenomenal journey.

‘If there is one mistake I will never regret for the rest of my life, it is Ashton Henley.’

“Irish, if there’s one thing I’ve never been able to forget, it’s a single second with you.”

I have a bad habit of figuring out books…I just do…not once in reading OTL did I ever stop, sit back and think about what was going to happen next. I couldn’t have even if you asked me to. Mainly because I was so engrossed in the story, I couldn’t stop reading long enough to think about what was going to happen next. And then of course there’s the fact that even in my wildest dreams I never expected Livie and Ashton’s story to play out like it did. It was natural and fluid, logical…every aspect of this book from the plot to the characters was beautifully put together and I really can’t think of one thing that didn’t work for me. Brilliance…every word of it was engrossing, powerful, sheer brilliance. And…if you can’t tell I loved it.

‘Once all the confusion, the pressure, and the lies were gone, I was left with nothing but choices. Small, large, easy, hard – all of them mine to make. For me.’

Clearly I could babble all day long about all things TTB and OTL. These characters are absolutely amazing…and if KA Tucker doesn’t stop writing the most amazing tall dreamboat men, I might loose my mind. Oh wait…cause Cain’s story is next and lord knows I love a deep dark mysterious man like a fat kid loves cake. Bring on Four Seconds to Lose !

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

In honor of the cover reveal for Let Love Heal, the third book in the Love Series by Melissa Collins, I decided to post the long lost interview I did with Melissa on her first blog tour for Let Love In.

What would happen if you lost everything? If the people who were supposed to love you unconditionally were no longer there for you, how would your world change?

That’s exactly what happened to Madeleine Becker when her parents died when she was ten years old. Ripped from her home and everything that she has ever loved, she is forced to start all over again. The only way for her to move on is to build walls around her heart and keep everyone at a safe distance. Her logic: she can’t get hurt if she doesn’t fall in love.

That theory is blown to pieces when she meets Reid Connely during her freshman year at college. He is gorgeous and darkly mysterious. He understands Maddy’s pain all too well, but sharing his pain would mean breaking down the walls he put up around his own heart. Conflicted between loving Maddy and hiding his dark past, Reid starts to reevaluate his world. Maddy’s inner strength, snarky personality and breath taking beauty help Reid to make peace with his past.

Together they find out what happens when they let love in.

Let Love Stay – Book #2

Check Out My Interview with Maddy and Reid as well as my review

If you’re lucky, you’ll fall in love – truly, madly and deeply in love. But what happens when that honest and pure love isn’t enough to erase your fears? What happens when your past rears its ugly head and threatens your future?

Maddy and Reid had that kind of love – the all-encompassing, Earth shattering, once in a lifetime kind of love. Then life happened. Old wounds that were thought to be long healed and scabbed over are ripped opened and they are forced to face the possibility that, maybe, they are not strong enough to fight their demons and embrace the light.

Together, they found out what love is, but now they will each need to heal on their own before they can ever be together again. They must face their fears and beat down their pasts in order to find their way through this crazy uphill battle called love.

They’ve let love in, but now, they need to find out how to Let Love Stay.

Let Love Heal – Book #3

Perfection. We all strive for it, but what happens when the desire to be perfect consumes you? What happens when the need to bury your mistakes blinds you?

Melanie Crane has always been the perfect daughter, friend, student – she’s been perfect at everything, in fact. But when she lets her insecurities, the ones that she keeps hidden from everyone, get the best of her, she falters in her pursuit of perfection. Melanie crumples under the pressure and buries her pain. Numbed by sadness and guilt, she is determined never to let anyone find out how broken she really is.

Bryan Mahoney may appear to have everything in order. He’s charming, witty and completely swoon-worthy. In short, Bryan has life all figured out, but appearances can be deceiving. When the landscape of Bryan’s family changes in an instant, he’s left to pick up the pieces.

Not all bruises leave a mark. Now, weary and afraid, Melanie and Bryan must find a way to let love heal their broken and jaded hearts.

Check out the Prologue for Let Love Heal

Now that you’re all caught up with The Love Series…check out what Melissa had to say when I put her in the hot seat! 🙂

Where did your inspiration from the story come from?

I wanted to create a story where one character had something that the other didn’t. In this case, that “something” is a family. I know lots of readers hate Maddy at the end, but really what’s motivating her is her own loss.

Did you have specific inspiration/people in mind for Reid and Maddy?

For Maddy, a lot of her personality inspiration – the sarcastic snarkiness – came from me. Yes, I’m openly admitting to being sarcastic. Those of you who know me in real life can see the similarities. Where Reid is concerned, I know many people think he’s a big old mush, so my personality inspiration for him came from every girl’s dream boyfriend. He’s totally swoon-worthy, right? This is how I see them.

Maddy

Reid

Did you swoon over Reid? I have to be honest, in the beginning I was worried – but he turned out to be quite the softy, was that all Maddy’s doing?

He does have a major character change and some people have said it’s a bit unbelievable, but love does some pretty crazy things to be people. There’s enough heart-ache in the real world, so yes, I wanted to make Reid extremely swoonable (ß not a real word, but I’m sticking with it). I think Reid wanted to find love, but he was so scared. Maddy’s innocence and vulnerability make him feel safe enough to finally open up. Every man needs a good woman. Maddy is most certainly Reid’s woman.

Did either character give you any “trouble” while writing? If so…which one was the most difficult?

If I’m being completely honest (which I have been, I promise), this is the first piece of fiction I’ve ever written. I studied English Literature and I’ve been a teacher for the last 10 years, but I’ve never written anything that wasn’t for school or work. So I was very surprised to see that both characters, and the minor characters as well, came to me fairly easy – as did the smut, that was fun to write as well. I will say that some of the guy banter was a bit difficult for me, because, well, because I’m not a guy.

If you have to pick one POV to write the entire book from, who would you choose – Maddy or Reid and why?

Reid. Definitely Reid. He’s a total guy’s guy. He’s hot. But then he’s a total sweetheart. Who doesn’t want to get inside the head of a man like that?

What was your favorite scene to write? What about least favorite/scene that nearly kicked your ass? 😛

I really (wink wink) enjoyed writing the scene where they “get together” (insert favorite euphemism for sex if you’d like) for the first time. It was sweet and romantic and pretty much every girl’s dream first time.

Reid’s nightmare was difficult for me to write. I knew how important the scene was to the book and I wanted to do it, and him, justice. The end was also a pain – for those of you who have read it, you understand. I just brainstormed that scene for a few days, started writing, scrapped what I had written and then started all over again. My husband reads all of my work and when I shared the end with him, he said “Nooo, it can’t be over. I want to read more.” And he’s not a reader, so I knew I had finally gotten it right.

Obviously…without spoilers…what’s in store for Maddy and Reid next – you left their ending very…mean/torturing/heartbreaking? (nope…I’m not bitter :-P)

Well, before they can get their happily ever after (which they do, I promise) they both have to work out the issues of their pasts. We all hate Maddy at the end, but in part she’s right. You do need to at least heal from your past before you can move on. They both have a lot of growing up to do, but it’s really very sweet to watch them do that together.

5 words you would use to describe yourself?

• Sarcastic – but then again, I already openly admitted to that 🙂
• Hard working
• Crazy – I have 3 kids under 4; I work full time; and I decided, quite randomly one day to write a book. Maybe I should be evaluated!
• Kind
• Dorky

Favorite Word?

Is it sad that I don’t have one?

Least Favorite Word?

Fag / Homo – Because most of the time, they’re used in blind hatred and ignorance.

Favorite Curse Word?

Fucker. Said in the right context it just has so much punch. A close second is Twatwaffle – just rolls off the tongue.

Favorite quote or saying?

My life is crazy and chaotic so to make it through the day I usually have to tell myself that “This too shall pass.”

If you could meet anyone (dead or alive) who would it be and why?

Dead – George Carlin – the man was a genius and freaking hilarious.

Alive – Morgan Freeman – is there anything the man can’t do?

Biggest regret and why?

I know it sounds lame, but I don’t have any regrets in my life. Every road that I’ve taken has brought me right to where I am. Sure, I’ve cursed that path every now and then, but without that journey, who knows how different my destination would have been.

Let Love In by Melissa Collins

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*ARC Give to Blog for Honest Review*

4 “you make me happy” Kisses

You know those books that you think are going to be nice, cute, sweet, easy reads…that’s what I thought Let Love In was going to be. A nice, cute, sweet, easy read. Something that would give me that perfect little balance of angst, romance and sexy appeal. A heroine I could love, a hero I could drool over and a happy little HEA at the end. I had to take a step back and give myself time to let this book sink in before I wrote a review…this is a direct quote of the first thing I typed after finishing the book… ‘I am going to try…try being the operative word here…to calmly and rationally write out my thoughts and feelings about this book. I will be challenged greatly because while I loved this book through about 80-90% of it, the last 10% just knocked me so flat on my ass, I dunno what to think, say or feel. I live for books to bring out emotions in me, it’s like my crack addition, but lord sweet JESUS…I was not prepared. *Breathing exercises* I can do this….maybe….’ Yeah…so that all those nice, cute, sweet, easy feelings…that’s not all I got!

Madeleine Renee Becker…5’7”, soft wavy golden blonde hair and bright vibrant green eyes – she’s a gorgeous, sad girl. Maddy has suffered more tragedy in life than one should have to deal with before the age of 18. At 10 years old she lost both her parents in a car accident ‘It seem like my life was plagued by death and I was only in fourth grade.’ …how can you read a statement like that and not internally break for this character. She’s raised by her elderly Aunt until she passes away and then lives with the only other family she knows, her best friend (Melanie Crane) and her mother, Momma Crane. Maddy pulled on all my heart strings…she’s strong, resilient, but oh so very sad and fragile…she just holds it in too well.

‘The tears are quickly followed by sobs – gut wrenching, chest heaving sobs. I sink down to the sand and cover my face. I’m crying because I’ve hurt Jay, but more so because I hurt. Just when I thought that maybe, just maybe, I could start to feel better about my life, it all comes crashing down around me. I know I don’t love Jay, but not loving him makes me feel like I’m never going to love anyone. If I can’t love someone like him, then I am broken beyond repair.’

So she’s getting ready to go off to college with her bestie and what’s a better way to start off a new school year then to crush your boyfriend of 2 years. It’s not that Maddy isn’t capable of love, it’s just easier to keep people at arms length when you’ve suffered such an enormous loss. She has walls that are 10 feet thick and if poor Jay couldn’t break them down in two years, you would think she’s a lost cause. She even thinks she’s a lost cause. So she goes off to college with a set of rules…

‘They’re very simple promises, but ones that I hope will wipe the slate clean.
1. Choose happy.
2. Appreciate beauty.
3. Let love it.
Like I said, simple, refreshingly simple.’

And it really is…so enter Reid Connely, ‘…six feet two inches of solid, gorgeous, beautiful man….’ – he’s a droolworthy little sucker but I gotta be honest…I didn’t like Reid at first. It worried me because even when my hero’s are ass holes, there is still a small masochistic side of me that secretly loves them despite it. You love them because of their flaws – Reid’s flaws just pissed me off a little bit. He’s fragile and broken like Maddy, they need each other so very badly – and he fights it because he is not the relationship guy. It doesn’t last…it never does. 😛

‘For the first time ever, I want a girl for more than just one night, for more than just sex. She’s alive and vibrant. I just feel like she sees me, the real me. Scares the shit out of me, but I can’t deny it any longer.’

I really enjoyed watching Maddy and Reid’s relationship develop, I think that this was one of the best developed couples I’ve read. You get to seem them piece by piece as they go thru, not only do they ‘talk’ about their relationship and their feelings but you really do actually get to see a lot of it, which helped me fall in love with them more. They grow with each other, which in turn brings them together more as a couple. It wasn’t an easy or fast love, it took time to mature…but once again, it makes you appreciate it that much more. It feels genuine and real.

“You’ve completely knocked me off my game. I’ve never met anyone like you and it scares the shit out me. It’s like you don’t see my.” My brow furrows in confusion and I move to interrupt but he continues before I get the chance. “You don’t see me; you see straight through me. You see beyond the outside and it’s like you see the me that no one else sees. I saw it in your eyes that first night I met you and it knocked me on my ass. I was a goner and since then I guess I’ve just been trying to push you away.”

There was quite a bit of angst throughout the book…you’re dealing with two people who have never really been in a relationship like this before – fuck up’s are bound to happen, and they do…but it’s how they deal with them that matters. How they let those mistakes shape them as individuals and as a couple, which in turn makes them better together. But the last 10-20% I mentioned – lord have mercy, I was not expecting that angst.

“You’ve completely knocked me off my game. I’ve never met anyone like you and it scares the shit out me. It’s like you don’t see my.” My brow furrows in confusion and I move to interrupt but he continues before I get the chance. “You don’t see me; you see straight through me. You see beyond the outside and it’s like you see the me that no one else sees. I saw it in your eyes that first night I met you and it knocked me on my ass. I was a goner and since then I guess I’ve just been trying to push you away.”

It took me by surprise…I did not know this wasn’t a stand alone – not that that is a bad thing, it just took me by surprise cause the closer I got to the end, the more it hit me that ‘wait a minute’ feeling when you finally realize this book is not going to be able to wrap it up in time! And then holy cliffhanger from hell! OMG my emotions….I wanted to clap and be proud but then cry and scream and be frustrated…the ending messed with my poor little brain big time.

“Happy? Are you kidding? Maddy, you are the reason I breathe. Without you, my life would have no meaning at all, so saying that you ‘make me happy’ is a huge fucking understatement.
You bring more happiness into my life than ever thought I deserved.”

So we bounce back and forth with POV’s between Maddy and Reid…it was clear and never confusing, and I did enjoy seeing things from both perspectives. And we also get a good dose of Maddy’s best friend that I mentioned earlier, Melanie. It’s actually really cute, because Reid is no dummy – he knows the quickest way to a girls heart is thru her best friend…so what does he do? Becomes good friends with Mel. It’s actually pretty adorable. Oh and I forgot to mention the ‘six degrees of Kevin Bacon’ – Reid is roommates with the boyfriend of one of Maddy’s suitemates.

‘And then there’s the impossible to ignore fact that he makes me happier than I’ve ever been in my life. I could be lame and quote some cheesy ass chick flick saying that he completes me, but that’s a load of crap. He doesn’t make me whole; he doesn’t erase the pain I’ve felt for most of my life. Being with him isn’t some cure all to everything I’ve ever dealt with, but when I’m with him, I’m me. I’m the person I have always wanted to be – fun, lighthearted, playful, flirty, sexy, seductive, and loving. He’s opened me up to the possibility of a completely different future than I ever envisioned for myself – a future that I just can’t imagine him not being a part of.’

Melissa has set this up for an amazing sequel and I can’t wait to see what she does with it. Reid and Maddy have a lot yet to accomplish and I know there will be an HEA well worth the aguish and havoc that was unleashed upon my psyche. I can act like I was mad and frustrated that it was a cliff, but at the end of the day, what matters is that Let Love In evoked enough emotion out of me to be mad. I’m invested in the characters and story enough to care that it didn’t end HEA. So now I just have to anxiously await Let Love Stay. 🙂

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I’ve always been an avid reader. Majoring in English Literature was a no brainer. Becoming a teacher and instilling my love for reading into my students was also a no brainer. I’ve spent the last ten years teaching and I’ve loved (mostly) every minute of it. When I was home on maternity leave for my third son, I discovered a new genre that sparked my creativity. My passion for writing sprang from my love of reading and once I knew I had a story to tell, I couldn’t wait to get it out there. I only hope that my readers enjoy reading my story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Check out Melissa’s Website

What girl doesn’t dream of being a princess?  *Sigh*  With the cover reveal of Recklessly Royal, I got all nostalgic and remember the interview I did with Sam and Alex for the blog tour a few months ago.  OMG…they were too much fun! 

Samantha Rousseau is used to getting her hands dirty. Working toward a master’s degree in wildlife biology while helping take care of her sick father, she has no time for celebrity gossip, designer clothes, or lazy vacations. So when a duchess from the small country of Lilaria invites her to dinner, Samantha assumes it’s to discuss a donation for the program. The truth will change the course of her life in ways she never dreamed.

Alex D’Lynsal is trying to keep his name clean. As crown prince of Lilaria, he’s had his share of scandalous headlines, but the latest pictures have sent him packing to America and forced him to swear off women—especially women in the public eye. That is, until he meets Samantha Rousseau. She’s stubborn, feisty, and incredibly sexy. Not to mention heiress to an estate in his country, which makes her everyone’s front-page news.

While Sam tries to navigate the new world of politics and wealth, she will also have to dodge her growing feelings for Alex. Giving in to them means more than just falling in love; it would mean accepting the weight of an entire country on her shoulders.

Find out what happens when I go ‘across the pond’ to visit Alex and Samantha, the Prince and Duchess!

Days like today don’t just happen to anyone, so to say I feel grateful and blessed is putting it mildly. After my very enjoyable flight on the Gulfstream that I was allowed to use, very generously by the Prince and Duchess (OMG my first time on a private jet – holy cow!!!) I arrive by limo (this trip really couldn’t get any better) at the gorgeous Rousseau estate, my jaw dropping to the ground. It’s literally breathtaking.

I walk up to the front door and before I can even blink, it’s a blur of activity and the next thing I know, I’ve been escorted to a elegant lounge area. Seated over by one of the large windows with a beautiful view of the grounds are the two reasons I am in Lilaria in the first place, His Royal Highness Alexander Patrick Fitzwilliam, the Duke of D’Lynsal and Samantha, Duchess of Rousseau. Ok – crap – what do I do in front of royals…bow? Curtsey? How bout we go with not cursing and trying not to fall flat on my face?

Luckily, the judgement call is made for me as they both stand up to greet me and Alex reaches his hand out to shake mine. Phew! Royal crisis evaded.

Alex: “Lisa, I’m so glad you were able to make it.”

Samantha: “Yes, I hope your trip here wasn’t too difficult.”

Lisa: “Oh, I suffered the entire way on your lovely private jet. A task I will gladly undertake again if you need me to go…hmm…anywhere!”

Thank goodness they get my strange humor because they’re both chuckling at me. I love them both to bits already.

Lisa: “Well, I have a quite a few questions for both of you and then individual questions, so should we get started.”

They both nod, bright smiles on their faces. Oh, we’ll see who is smiling when this is over! 😛

Lisa: “So, what are five words you would use to describe the other?”

Samantha starts to laugh and I can’t help but smile myself, at least they are in good spirits about my silly questions.

Alex: “By all means, ladies first.”

Samantha: “Egoistical, bossy, smart—did you know he speaks four languages? Determined and sexy.”

Alex: “I thought yummy would make the list.”

Samantha blushes but manages to keep a straight face and I feel like I have hit the jackpot. This interview is better than a movie, I love it!

Samantha: “I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

Alex: “Sure you do. Like when you call me Prince…”

The piercing glare Sam shoots at Alex almost does me in, I will not make it out of this interview without laughing and embarrassing myself. These two are AWESOME!

Samantha: “Don’t do it. I said sexy! What more do you want?”

Alex: “Okay, okay. I’ll let it go. For now.”

Samantha turns in my direction, a polite smile gracing her lips.

Samantha: “I hope this isn’t a long interview.”

I have to keep the grin that hasn’t left my face since they started talking from completely eclipsing my face.

Lisa: “No, I’ll try and keep these as quick as possible. I know you’re both very busy.”

Alex: “My turn, right?”

I know I’m enjoying this more than Sam, but I can’t help it.

Lisa: “Yes please, Alex.”

Alex: “Five words for Samantha. Stubborn, brash, brilliant, and beautiful. Did I say stubborn?”

I have to cover my mouth because the combination of the look on Sam’s face and Alex’s answers, I couldn’t help but laugh.

Samantha: “Brash?”

Alex: “I also said brilliant and beautiful!”

Samantha: “And stubborn twice.”

Alex: “Yes, but I’m fond of that trait in you.”

Samantha snorts and my cheeks are starting to hurt already from smiling so much.

Samantha: “We’re never going to make it to the next interview if you keep on.”

And I would be quite alright with that. At this point, it’s too entertaining for words.

Alex: “True. Okay.”

Alex’s head turns in my direction as he gives me a panty dropping smile and raises an eyebrow…oh boy, I’m in trouble, but I think I like it.

Alex: “I’ll try to behave myself.”

Yes…trouble it is. I wink at Alex, two can play this game.

Lisa: “Oh please, don’t try too hard Alex. So, what’s your favorite memory together?”

Alex: “What is your blog rated for?”

I start to answer – really if, he only knew the kind of books we read! Or the nickname the girls and I have for each other… 😛 If we weren’t so proud of our book whoreish ways, we might be embarrassed.

Samantha: “Keep it PG, Alex.”

Damn! I try not to look disappointed.

Alex: “If that’s the case, I’m going to go with playing Monopoly on the plane. I loved seeing you so frustrated.”

Lisa: “Aww…I loved that too.”

I turn to Sam and she shoots Alex a smile.

Samantha: “Wow. You went with my least favorite memory. Okay, my favorite memory with Alex, would have to be the time would we went on our ‘not date’ at the bookstore and diner.”

Lisa: “Very sweet. Well, you are two very busy people – your ‘royal obligations’, family, friends, school, spending time together – I bet things can get crazy – how do ya’ll balance everything?”

Samantha: “With a lot of help! Chadwick is a life saver. He keeps me on track and schedules time for us to be at home together.”

Alex: “We also try to coordinate business trips and talk on the phone when we can.”

Lisa: “What are your plans for the future?”

Samantha: “I’m planning on using my degree with the FBT. I’m also developing a volunteer program where local children can help with the day to day needs of a wildlife rehabilitation center. And somewhere in there I’m planning a wedding. And having nightmares about ribbon loving monsters…”

I watch as Sam visibly shudders.

Alex: “I’m managing a great deal of the daily business of the Future Bird Trust for now. In the not too distant future, I’m hoping for kids.”

My head immediately flashes to Sam as a bright red hue graces her cheeks

Samantha: “One step at a time, buddy.”

That’s my girl. Someone’s gotta keep the prince in line! And I can’t think of anyone better that then Sam.

Lisa: “Alright, Alex, your turn in the hot seat. Do you really cheat at monopoly? You can be honest, we won’t tell.” 😉

Alex: “Why would I cheat? I win every time!”

Samantha clears her throat and my big cheesy grin is back in full effect.

Alex: “Well, almost every time.”

Lisa: “Hmm…alright, I’ll let you pass with that on. So what were your first thoughts when you saw Sam at the Parallel?”

Alex: “That the night had become infinitely more interesting.”

Lisa: “Your persistence and resilience for not letting Sam let her fears conquer her feelings for you was…admirable – most men would have given up – why didn’t you?”

Alex: “I was drawn to her. I couldn’t help it. I knew that we’d have something special. I was willing to do anything to open her eyes, and if being quietly persistent was what I needed to do… well, I did it.”

Lisa: “Yes, you certainly did. Would you consider over coming Sam’s stubbornness one of your greatest accomplishments?”

Alex: “Stop making that face, Samantha. And yes, it’s one of my many great accomplishments.”

Samantha leans in and whispers. “Told you. Egotistical.”

Between her face and the whisper I’m trying with all my might to stifle a giggle. This might be one of the funniest interviews I’ve ever had.

Lisa: “Did you ever thank Chadwick for ‘poking’ Sam?”

Alex: “You could say that. Maybe in not so many words.”

I nod and turn to Sam.

Lisa: “Okay, Samantha, your turn – when did you first become fascinated with birds? And when did you know you wanted to make them your career?”

Samantha: “I volunteered at a wildlife rehabilitation center when I was in school. I was hooked the moment we set the first bird free. After that I couldn’t think of anything else I wanted to do.”

Lisa: “They always say it’s best to find whatever your passionate about and make that your career, so that’s awesome. Here’s a hard one, three questions you wish you could ask your mom?”

Samantha: “Did you know?

What do you think of Alex?

Where is that picture of you and dad pretending to be monkeys at the Red Wood Forest? I’ve looked everywhere.”

A slightly sad smile graces her beautiful face as Alex brings her hand up to his lips and kisses her knuckles. Such a sweet gesture…*sigh*

Lisa: “I like those. Alright, giving up everything you did, changing your life so drastically is a lot to ask for – obviously I hope you don’t regret that decision but do you have any regrets?”

Samantha: “No. No regrets. I miss things, but I’m happy with where I am today.”

Lisa: “Very good to know. So you know you have hit the lottery right? You have a gorgeous honest-to-goodness prince who is a really good guy, who cares a lot for you, pursued you like no other – where did you find the strength to resist him???”

Samantha: “I guess it was all of that stubbornness.”

She mocks a glares in Alex’s direction and he just smiles back at her indulgently.

Samantha: “No, really, I was just scared of everything that was going on. I was terrified of getting hurt any more.”

Lisa: “Understandable. Plus I don’t think many girls would say they could survive getting their hearts broken by a Prince. Speaking of…do you still call him Prince Yummy from time to time?”

Samantha: “Oh, no! You know about that?”

Now it’s my turn to blush.

Samantha: “Well, I also call him Darth Yummy. How about that one? It’s completely deserved.”

Lisa: “OMG I love it!”

Chadwick clears his throat from the corner of the room and as quickly as my smile appeared from hearing the new nickname for Alex, it quickly falls because I know what’s coming.

Alex: “I believe our time is up. Thank you so much for our chat. It’s been the highlight of my day.”

His smile almost blinds me as he reaches out to shake my hand. I stand and pray that I don’t fall over from his shear dreaminess. I turn to Sam, taking her hand and shaking it as well.

Lisa: “No really, thank you. You’ve both been a dream to interview. My face hurts from smiling and laughing so much.”

Samantha: “Thank you. Hopefully we’ll see you again.”

As I am escorted out the front door to the limo that is awaiting me, another limo pulls up and out walks the beautiful Nichole Chase. I am on a huge lucky streak, because this is the second interview in a row where I’ve managed to somehow bump into an author whose brain I am dying to pick.

Lisa: “OMG Nichole, it’s so nice to meet you! Wow, I didn’t know we’d finally get to meet under these circumstances. Thank you so much for helping me get this interview with Alex and Sam – they’re a blast!”

Nichole: “So nice to meet you to Lisa. Only too glad to help.”

Lisa: “I’m sure you’re really busy with Alex and Sam, but do you mind if I ask you a couple of questions.”

Nichole: “Not at all, go right ahead.”

Lisa: “What are the chances for a second book? The Wedding? That phone call? Are you going to leave us hanging?”

Nichole: “I have some ideas, but am not ready to share them yet. If there are any more books, it would likely be about a different character and Samantha and Alex would be part of the supporting cast. You’d still see them, but they wouldn’t be the main focus. As for the phone call—I wouldn’t worry too much about that. I’m sure that if it was important Chadwick would let them know.”

Lisa: “I can totally live with that – I’d love for Catherine to get her own book! So, any chances for some scenes from Alex’s POV?”

Nichole: “Now that is a fun idea. Hm. I wonder.”

Lisa: “Oooh…I like the sound of that! Did you have any specific inspiration for the characters? Sam is very unique and Alex is just a steaming pot of drool-worthiness – did they just come out of your fabulous imagination?” 😉

Nichole: “I would die from embarrassment if he ever saw this, but Chris Hemsworth is who I always pictured as Alex. Sexy but with a sweet side. Samantha, however, is a different story. She lived in my head for so long, insisting I tell her story that she picked up a lot of my bad habits. Out of all my characters, she is the closest to my personality.”

Lisa: “Wow…very good taste and I love that Sam is so much a part of you. Well I have to thank you again for everything. This whole thing was such an awesome experience, I really couldn’t have asked for more.”

Nichole: “Thank you so much for spending time with Alex and Samantha today! I’m looking forward to seeing them again as well.”

I wave goodbye as she makes her way inside and I slide into the limo. A whirlwind day full of happy surprises and one of my favorite interviews I have done to date. Alex and Sam leave me with a smile on my face no matter what they do.

Suddenly Royal by Nichole Chase

My rating: 4 of 5 stars

*ARC Given to Blog for Honest Review*

3.5 “Stubborn” Kisses

Please don’t think that being stubborn is a bad thing in this context – it’s not. I call myself stubborn with my head held high and the fact that the heroine in this book is stubborn is a trait I happened to love/love to hate. So, who doesn’t love a good fairy tale? I’ll be honest, I’m a Disney junkie…I love the princess stories. Give me a knight in shining armor any day of the week. But ‘Prince Yummy’ …he’s a step above the rest.

Samantha Rousseau is normal. Just a regular graduate student, she’s a wildlife biologist specializing in raptors – she loves her birds, she keeps busy between school, work and trying to make sure her ailing step-father is taken care of, she’s got her hands full. Well, it’s her lucky day because she just got handed the opportunity of a lifetime when she is told her deceased mother was part of a family of royals who fled the country in order to save their lives. She’s not Samantha Rousseau anymore, she is Samantha, Duchess of Rousseau. This is when you expect the candid cameras to pop out and say “HA! Fooled You!”…it doesn’t happen.

‘’There are two things you must never forget. One, you are a Rousseau and you should always be proud of that. Two, family always comes first. Always.’

Sam has an incredibly difficult decision to make. Leave behind her dad, her school, her friends, her life or turn her back on a great opportunity to live up to the potential she never knew she was capable of. She gets lots of awesome advice…from her dad, from her best friend, but ultimately the decision is hers. What’s the worst that could happen, right?

‘Jess and the undergrads had been wrong. He wasn’t yummy, he was delicious; a feast to be savored. Dark blonde hair hung a smidge too long, eyes so blue it was like looking into the heart of a glacier. Built like the statue of David; the contours of his suit hugging every delicious muscle. Laugh lines around his mouth and eyes brought him into the realm of humanity, and gave him personality.’

His Royal Highness Alexander Patrick Fitzwilliam, the Duke of D’Lynsal and heir to the crown of Lilaria, doesn’t make this decision any less…challenging. He’s a distraction, a particularly delicious distraction, but like Sam needs anything else to complicate an already complicated situation. The press, the pressure, the choices…it’s enough to make any girl a little loopy, but adding the royal bits to it, just make it ten times worse. I’ll give Sam credit though, any girl that can persistently stonewall ‘Prince Yummy’ deserves an award of some kind.

‘His eyes starred down into mine and I felt entranced. There was some kind of emotion swirling behind that ice that I didn’t understand. I had a feeling he wouldn’t have promised to just anyone.’

I’m faced with another book that while it does have romantic aspects to it, that really wasn’t the main focus of the book for me. This was about Samantha’s journey…we learn more about her, all that she is having to go through as she embarks on filling the royal shoes she never knew existed. She has a lot going on. It’s not that she doesn’t want Alex, but there is the fear element that keeps her away. Even with her continued resilience to him, Alex never gave up. God love him for it…he really is Prince Charming.

‘“All good things are worth the work. And what we could have would definitely be good.” He threw my words back at me and I had no response.’

Suddenly Royal was a super sweet and cute story, reminded me a lot of the Princess Diaries but more grown up and refined…and I wanted to hump the Prince 🙂 The ending was perfect and as with most books I read, I will always cross my fingers for continuation of the characters. I did fall in love with Alex’s sister Catherine and would love for her to have a story.

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Nichole Chase is a daydreamer. No, really, just ask any of the math teachers that had the misfortune of seeing her name appear on their class schedule.

For years she has had story lines and characters begging for attention, but she resolutely pushed them aside to focus on more normal (read, boring) jobs.

Well, no longer! She is currently heeding the voices in her head and frantically writing their stories. Ms. Chase is the author of the Dark Betrayal Trilogy, Flukes, and Suddenly Royal (including several short stories).

Nichole resides in South Georgia with her husband, energetic daughter, dog, tortoise, and two cats. When not devouring novels by the dozens, you may find her writing, painting, crafting, or chasing her daughter around the house while making monster noises.

Check out Nichole’s Website.

Well…since today is the cover reveal for Four Seconds to Lose, I decided it was fitting to have another Throwback Thursday in honor of K.A. Tucker.  Now this is very special to me because this was my first ever character interview and it just so happens to be with one of my favorite BBF’s of all time.  *Sigh*  Trent.  Love him!  So…I hope you enjoy!

Just breathe, Kacey. Ten tiny breaths. Seize them. Feel them. Love them.

Four years ago Kacey Cleary’s life imploded when her car was hit by a drunk driver, killing her parents, boyfriend and best friend. Still haunted by memories of being trapped inside, holding her boyfriend’s lifeless hand and listening to her mother take her last breath, Kacey wants to leave her past behind. Armed with two bus tickets, twenty year old Kacey and her fifteen year old sister Livie escape Grand Rapids, Michigan to start over in Miami. Struggling to make ends meet, Kacey needs to figure out how to get by. But Kacey’s not worried. She can handle anything—anything but her mysterious neighbor in apartment 1D.

Trent Emerson has smoldering blue eyes, deep dimples, and perfectly skates that irresistible line between nice guy and bad boy. Hardened by her tragic past, Kacey is determined to keep everyone at a distance, but their mutual attraction is undeniable and Trent is determined to find a way into Kacey’s guarded heart—even if it means that an explosive secret could shatter both their worlds.

And now for the insanity happened when we met Trent and K.A…..

Well…the day we’ve been waiting for has finally come – the day we meet with the fabulous KA Tucker and drool worthy, über swoony Trent Emerson. As Jennifer, Brooke and I wait for their arrival, emotions are beyond high.

Brooke: “OMG OMG OMG!!! When are they going to get here? What time is it? What was that noise? Are they here?”
Lisa: “AHH! They’re here??? I’m not ready!”

Jen: “Wow…you two need to calm down, you’re embarrassing me already.”

Brooke: “Really? This is pretty calm for us?”

Lisa: “Seriously – it’s going to get much worse.”

As the words pass my lips, the click of a door closing behind us makes our heads spin in the direction of the sound…and there stands KA, as lovely as ever and the delicious Trent. Brooke and I clasp hands and begin to jump – yes, jump – up and down for joy, like 13 year olds on a sugar high…and let me tell you, Trent is a high I would welcome any day.

My eyes take in the 6’3” sex god standing before me. He’s wearing a blue checkered shirt and dark blue jeans, which immediately take me back to a very memorable scene in a basement laundry room. I totally agree with Kacey’s assessment of his body, it is…spot on and I might have to check if I’m drooling. I’m pretty sure I look like a loon with the goofy ass grin that is plastered to my face.

Jen rolls her eyes and steps forward with her hand outstretched “Hi Kathleen, so nice to meet you. Sorry about the girls, as you can see they’re a little excited to see you both.”

KA smiles, reaching forward to shake Jen’s hand “It’s fine, I knew Brooke and Lisa were fans, but I’m sure Trent appreciates the…enthusiastic welcome.”

Trent blushes and shrugs his shoulders as Brooke and I try and calm ourselves down, still shaking a little bit.

“H-Hi Kathleen,” I stumble out, extending my hand to shake KA’s like Jen did. Okay, now I get why Jen is embarrassed for us, I can feel my cheeks burning, “Sorry about that, you kind of surprised us.” I turn to look at Brooke and she blinks back at me with a ‘deer in headlights’ look.

“Y-Yeah,” Brooke stumbles just as badly as I did. SCORE! I won’t look stupid alone! “We weren’t mentally prepared to see you both yet.” She shakes KA’s hand, there is hope for us yet!

“Not a problem guys, it’s nice to have such a warm welcome.” KA replies.

Could she be any sweeter? I doubt it.

“Why don’t we go ahead and sit down, so we can get started? We don’t want to take up too much of your time – we just really appreciate the opportunity to get to talk to you both,” Jen says as she leads us to the small seating area of the meeting room we are using. “Can I get you two anything to drink?”

Thank God Jen is here. If it were up to Brooke and I, the odds of us staying vertical, let alone actually functioning as a proper host right now, it’s just out of the question. I don’t even hear their answer, focusing mainly on keeping one foot in front of the other and not falling flat on my face.

Thank goodness we were smart enough to get comfortable seats, my brain and body are in overdrive right now and I feel like I could just melt into the chair. As everyone gets comfortable, Jen start’s us off.

“Once again, KA and Trent, thank you both for meeting with us, we were so thrilled to be offered a chance to be on the Ten Tiny Breaths tour. I guess let’s start with Trent – what were your first thoughts when you walked into the laundry room and saw Kacey?”

Trent: “Well, I knew she was going to be there, given I saw her pass by my window with her laundry. My first thoughts? I was freaking out. Seriously, terrified. And then she dropped those quarters and … *grins sheepishly* those were some short shorts.”

Brooke found her voice before I even located the rest of my motor functions, and chimed in after he answered Jen. “So Trent…how does it feel to be considered a stalker?”

Trent: “I’ve been called worse *chuckles* Seriously, it wasn’t one of my better decisions but it’s all in the past. And, come on, it kind of worked out, didn’t it? What else can I say … I had my issues.”

“Oh, I think it definitely worked out.” I croak out. Come on Lisa, you can do this. “One of the most emotional scenes in the book for me was the mirror scene…so this is the hardest question ever – how did you walk away from that mirror? Especially knowing Kacey was on the other side.”

Trent: “Because I loved her that much. It made it simple. Plus I honestly thought she was getting ready to toss a chair through the glass. I had no idea she was crying on the other side. If I had known that, it would have made walking away a million times harder.”

Wow…I think I just fell in love with him all over again. Kidnapping is illegal, right? I wonder for a moment if Kacey would notice if he just disappeared, but my devious thoughts are quickly distracted when Jen picks up on the somber mood the room has taken with such a heavy question.

Jen: “Alright, let’s change it up…how about some rapid fire questions?”

Trent: “Sure, sounds fun.”

His dimple is showing – have I mentioned I love his dimple? Ugh, there goes my brain again – and I was doing so good. I shake my head trying to clear it of my wayward thoughts – Focus!

Lisa: “Salty or Sweet?”

Trent: “Sweet”

Jen: “Movies or Books?”

Trent: “Books”

Brooke: “Fast or Slow?”

Trent: *laughs out loud* “Fast”

Jen: “Chocolate or Vanilla?”

Trent: “Chocolate”

Brooke: *with a devious smile on her face* “And now for the best question…right Lisa?”

“Oh yes, this is the best one.” I pause for dramatic effect and can hear Jen mumble, “Oh No,” with a sigh. I ignore her and with the biggest smile on my face, and an arch of my brow, I ask, “Blonde’s?”

“Or Brunette’s?” Brooke finishes my question, adding a wink for emphasis.

*For those of you who are unaware…I am blonde, Brooke is brunette 🙂 *

We couldn’t be more obvious if we tried, but if this is the last question we get to ask this fine piece of man candy – we’re going to make it worthwhile!

Trent’s eyes are all over the place, not really sure where to look now that we’ve put him on the spot…he bites his lower lip, almost as if willing the words to leave his gorgeous mouth but afraid of the reaction.

Trent: “If I don’t say Redheads, Kacey will beat my ass to the ground”

Brooke and I pout while Jen shakes her head.

Jen: “And…with that, I think it might be best if Trent waits outside so these two can get their heads out of the gutter.”

Brooke & I and snap our heads in Jens direction and a millisecond later, look at each other and in unison, whine “But…What…Why…No!!!”

Jen holds up her hand and Brooke and Lisa cross their arms over their chests and go back to pouting.

Jen shakes her head again as Trent rises from his seat and with a smile thanks us – really? Pretty sure we should be thanking him. I turn to Brooke and we both share a knowing ‘Cheshire cat’ grin and turn to Jen. Jen covers her face with her hands, knowing what’s coming next. Brooke and I immediately lunge from our chairs, each of us attaching our bodies to either side of Trent, giving him a hug. He chuckles, amused at our last ditch effort to show him how much we love him, and pats us on the back. With a slight wave as he exits the meeting room, Brooke and I wistfully fall back into the plush chairs…still in our la la land of happiness that we got to TOUCH Trent freaking Emerson. Life can’t get better.

“Ahem” – Jen’s fake cough brings us back to the here and now, but the look on her face says she’s totally over our antics. If it wasn’t for KA’s indulgent smile, we might feel a little embarrassed too. But this is what we do…we’re fangirls, damn it!

Brooke and I straighten up, ready to continue our little interview – possibly with more common sense than before. Trying to redeem myself, I turn to KA and say, “Sorry about that. I promise, we can act like normal human beings…when we try.”

KA: “It’s not a big deal, I understand Trent has his charms.”

Lisa: “Oh yes…we’re well aware of his charms. So…I have to ask, Ten Tiny Breaths – so simple, so perfect, so BRILLIANT – how the heck did you come up with it???”

KA: “I wish I had a clever answer but I don’t. I really just came to me and I knew immediately that it had to be the title.”

Brooke, having had more time to recover after Trent’s exit, speaks up more confidently. “Did you have a specific inspiration for Kacey? Her looks, her personality –she’s one in a million, where did she come from?”

KA: “I bought the cover before I started writing the book. It was a pre-design with a redhead and, to me, that just fit. I have a small obsession with redheads and the Irish (in my YA series, I also have a redhead and an Irish man in the story. Don’t be surprised if all of my future books have those two elements somehow worked in.) In terms of Kacey’s personality, I wanted someone strong but broken and snarky but fun. She has a tough exterior shell but she’s quite emotional inside. Beyond that, she just took shape until she came alive on the page.”

Jen: “We felt SO many emotions while reading this book – a rollercoaster ride is putting it mildly.”

KA: “That was my aim so I’m glad the book delivered! The best books are the ones that make you feel all the feelings.”

Lisa: “Alright…last question, but we have to ask…how much of Trent and Kacey do we get in One Tiny Lie?”

Brooke: “OMG yes…anything? Please! We’ll beg!”

KA: “LOL. I’m just going through final edits now. You will get quite a bit of Kacey—a lot in the beginning and in the end, as well as phone conversations, etc. throughout. She actually plays a bigger role in this book than I originally expected her to and that’s due to their bond as sisters. There are a few scenes with Trent in the book but he is not the focus. There just isn’t enough room in the plot for him and two other leading male characters (who I think you will like J )”

Jen: “Wow…leaving us with a smile, how can we be mad at that girls?”

Lisa: “We can’t…we just may have to attack her for OTL!”

KA laughs as she stands up.

Brooke: “We want to thank you so much for meeting with us KA, it’s been an exceptional experience and we hope you know how much we appreciate it.”

KA: “Thanks so much for having us here today! It’s been fun.”

As we walk KA out the door, waving goodbye the three of us look at each other in disbelief. We walk back to our chairs, falling into them – emotionally exhausted from the awesomeness that was just in the room.

Brooke: “OMG did that just happen?”

Lisa: “I don’t know. My mind has been blown, I can’t think right now.”

Jen: “I’m never going out in public with you two ever again, unless you’re medicated beforehand.”

Brooke and I turn to Jen and burst out laughing. We’re all cracking up so hard we have tears in our eyes and can barely breathe (Ha! Made a pun!)

We can’t thank KA Tucker and Trent enough for doing the interview with us and of course KP with InkSlinger for putting on an absolutely fabulous tour. 🙂

Ten Tiny Breaths by K.A. Tucker

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

5+ “Seize them. Feel them. Love them.” Kisses!

Pain, sorrow and grief have a way of changing our lives…morphing them into something we could never imagine….never fathom. When tragedy strikes you so hard it hits you to your core – forever erasing the person you once were, it’s what you do with those feelings and emotions that will forever shape your future. Ten Tiny Breaths is about strength and learning when it’s okay to be weak…being broke and learning how to heal…going thru heartbreak and having the strength to forgive.

Kacey Cleary is a brave soul….a damaged soul…a fighting soul. Every day she fights – she fights for her next breath, she fights to keep control…but mainly she fights for her sister. Livie – Olivia – while there is a 5 year age difference (Kacey is 20, Olivia 15), the only other difference between these gorgeous girls is their hair color…Kacey’s stand out red hair to Livie’s stunning black.

“Livie’s an angel….Where I’m a looming thundercloud, she’s the sunshine breaking through.”

Livie longs for “Before Kacey” – she’s lost a lot with the tragic accident that took their parents life four years ago and almost took Kacey’s as well…with the way “After Kacey” is, it might as well have taken her life as well. She’s broken and barely put herself back together…a shell of her former self. Barely graduated high school after being a star student, drugs, alcohol and sex consumed her life – all the combination you need for a perfectly destructive lifestyle.

Kacey is fighting her way thru existence after the accident that killed four of the most important people in her life. Once again, Livie is why she changed – so Livie wouldn’t be without the only other living family member (since their Aunt and Uncle aren’t worth a damn) that she has left…and Kacey wants Livie to have the happy life she is meant to have, because it’s clearly out of the question for Kacey.

“Well then it’s your lucky day. I’m already jaded.”

Kacey also has a hand thing – it stems from her boyfriend and what happened during the accident. This brave girl who could bust the knee cap of a grown man is scared stiff of hands. She doesn’t touch them – except Livie’s. Once again, Livie is the exception to everything…though…until Trent comes into the picture.

Trent Emerson…6’3”, 25, golden brown hair and gorgeous blue eyes…a.k.a. ‘Sex on a Stick’. Oh and he’s got tattoo’s and a motorcycle…and he’s a graphic artist/computer nerd – hello, let me introduce you to my dream man. KA Tucker just crawled into my brain and made him…the second I knew all of those facts, Trent could tell me anything and I’d sit back with googly eyes and say “Sure honey, whatever you say.”
I. Love. Him.

“I could lay here and stare at him forever. I don’t want to let go. Ever.”

He knock’s Kacey on her ass…almost literally (ha! Well she is on her hands and knees…but you’ll have to read to understand that!) in a laundry room. He makes her feel things, he breaks her down and he makes her want things she hasn’t wanted in forever…and get this – she likes it. It’s a complete shift from the “After Kacey” that has come to take over. And it’s aaaaawesome to watch her change right in front of your eyes.

They are so perfect together…omg I loved them – I loved how happy he made her, and that’s all he wanted in the world. How can your heart not burst over hearing that – a guy that just wants to make you smile, he just couldn’t be any more perfect.

“Give me your heart, Kacey. I’ll take everything that comes with it.”

“I’ll make you whole again, Kacey. I promise you, I will.”

“From now on, Kacey. I will. I will devote every day for the rest of our lives to making you happy. I promise.”

I could quote this man forever – he Blew. Me. Away. with what he said…it was achingly perfect. And reading those lines a second time…changes things completely. They hit you harder, strike deeper with what he is really saying…it squeezes your heart.

But as perfect as Trent may seem, he’s got secrets…he’s got a past and while he is focused on getting Kacey to breakthrough and be the person she could be after getting over the pain of the accident, his hidden pain becomes more difficult to hide. Just know that they are both equally tortured in their own way…and when the truth is revealed, it’s pain is almost as bad as the accident was.

“Trent and all the good that he brought to my life is dead. It was never really alive.”

My heart was wrapped up in Kacey – she is a smartass, she is funny, she is so strong and brave it makes my head spin, but lord have mercy is that girl damaged. She can compartmentalize better than anyone out there and that’s what works for her. I loved her from the get go, she is a very compelling heroine. I loved Livie too…she’s a sweetheart, selfless, kind, hopeful…wiser beyond her years unfortunately.

We also get to meet Nora Matthews, the next door neighbor – with a name like that, you’d think kindergarten teacher or CPA right? Nope – she goes by Storm…and she’s a bartender…at a strip club, where she also performs a very interesting….act. I’ll leave that to your imaginations until you read it…but I will say it’s freakin bad ass. Factor in she is a walkin epitome of a Barbie doll and actually turns out to be a fantastic influence on Kacey – it was hard not to like Storm.

The scene that broke me down involved a one way mirror…Trent on one side, Kacey on the other. It ripped my heart out and stomped on it. Possibly one of the most emotional scenes I’ve ever read – and I’ve read it multiple times since then. I need a new word for heartbreak because that scene was heartbreak and hurt and pain and forgiveness and so many other emotions all balled up into one. Emotionally spent after reading that scene….just done!

I can’t lie…I was worried about the ending. Come on, we read these books for HEA’s – I know I LIVE for a good HEA…and I was worried. But…to ease your fears, Trent and Kacey get their HEA and I loved the epilogue. Also, because the epilogue gives us a glimpse at 18 year old Princeton undergrad Livie…and the next book, One Tiny Lie, is her story. Can we say excited???

Yes…Yes I am!

I loved this book so much I read it twice…which I would love to do with every book I have, but it’s very difficult to do…but there are exceptions and this is one of them. This a beautiful book about love, loss and forgiveness and will take you on a beautiful rollercoaster you’ll never forget.

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Born in small-town Ontario, Kathleen published her first book at the age of six with the help of her elementary school librarian and a box of crayons. She is a voracious reader and the farthest thing from a genre-snob, loving everything from High Fantasy to Chick Lit. Kathleen currently resides in a quaint small town outside of Toronto with her husband, two beautiful girls, and an exhausting brood of four-legged creatures.

I’m resurrecting my Trophy Husband Blog Tour post from three months ago!  Chris and McKenna’s Interview is just too good to let disappear and considering I’m going to be sitting down with Jill, Chris’s sister, on Saturday – I think now is the perfect opportunity to bring back this little gemstone.  Enjoy!

Sometimes you can’t help falling in love, even when you try to do the opposite…

Successful fashion blogger McKenna Bell has spent far too long protecting herself after the way her ex-fiancé left her at the altar for a college chick he met the night of his bachelor party. Loving again, trusting again, well, that’s just not in the cards. Especially now that her ex is back in town with his new woman, demanding custody of McKenna’s favorite creature in the whole world–her dog.

No effing way. McKenna’s had enough of him, and she decides to even the score by finding her own hot young thing — a Trophy Husband. Sure, she’s only twenty-seven, but doesn’t that make it even more fun — and infuriating to her ex — to pursue a younger man?

When she declares her intentions on her daily blog, her quest quickly skyrockets in popularity, and that’s when Chris enters the picture, and he’s got all the assets. He’s handsome, successful, and turns her inside out with a kiss to end all kisses, the kind that makes you feel like a shooting star.

But loving again could mean losing again, and it’s so much easier to focus on getting even, isn’t it? Unless, you just can’t help falling in love. Which means McKenna will have to come face to face with what she really wants in life — protecting her heart from hurt, or letting go of her fears of a new beginning.

One click away! You will not regret it! 😉

 And now…without further ado…I give you Chris and McKenna 🙂

I’m giddy to get to my next interview. I literally cannot stop myself from bouncing up and down in my rental car as I drive thru San Francisco headed towards the Marina District. Of course I’m excited to meet Chris…he’s my book boyfriend kryptonite, but seriously. I *heart* McKenna SO much I can hardly stand it. I just want to steal her and take her back to Texas with me – Chris wouldn’t miss her, right?

I walk up to the front door, shaking off my nerves, and ring the doorbell. Mere seconds later the door swings open and there…in all her glory and wearing a super cute jean skirt and ‘the’ black vee-neck “Macbeth” shirt (SO need to get me one of those – I kinda love it too much). She sweeps me into her lovely home, we hug as if we’ve known each other for ages and I fall in love with her even more. As we are making small talk, I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and my knees begin to go weak. I know who that is. Chris magically appears wearing some delicious cargo shorts that hang off his hips just so, leaving my eyes to wander up his fabulous abdomen and chest, covered so graciously by that black Nor-Cal tee-shirt that my imagination remembers so fondly. I grip onto the back of the couch we are standing next to – I will not pass out in front of these two!

Somehow I manage to shake Chris’s hand and we all sit down in the living room. I can’t help but smile because sitting on the coffee table is a Monopoly board game box. Why do I see a challenge being thrown down in our future? 🙂

Lisa: “So shall we start with ladies first?”

McKenna nods in agreement with a bright smile on her face. She has her legs tucked under her body, tightly snuggled against Chris’s side while his strong arm is draped around her holding her close. I heart them!

Lisa: “Okay McKenna, I would never question your taste…but seriously, Dave Dybdahl and Steely Dan Duran? That wasn’t your first clue that these guys might not work out?” 😛

McKenna: “Well, of course I thought Dave’s name was amusing, but ladies — Those eyes, those arms! What was a girl to do? Fine, fine. Let me show you a picture of him so you know that I’m not totally crazy for wanting to take him up on his date offer.”

Lisa: “I never said you didn’t have good taste when it comes to what looks good! Lol That name has to go though. Do you wish you had told the girls about Chris sooner?”

McKenna: “I kinda do, yeah. I wanted to say something to Hayden that night when we were hanging out on her couch, and I definitely was tempted to say something to Julia outside the Tiki Bar. They’re awesome and I think they would have understood because Chris is awesome! But then, I guess I had to go through all that crap to figure out what I really wanted.”

Lisa: “True, it was all part of the process, but I felt bad that you didn’t have a girlfriend to talk with about Chris. Alright…you’re about to hate me….*Scenario* – your house is on fire and you have to grab your favorite three outfits…what do you pick? Yes, I am mean and twisted and this is a horrible thing to do to a fashionista…sorry!” 🙂

McKenna: “Why don’t you just rip my heart from my body right now? Stick your hand into my chest like a twisted medicine man and rip it out and make me watch.”

She dramatically flings hand over eyes – I can’t help but giggle…I’ve found my inner drama queen soul mate.

McKenna: “Okay, now that I’ve recovered a tad from your cruel hypothetical scenario, I would definitely grab my hot pink petticoat and my rockabilly black dog-print dress that goes with it, my white cherry pattern dress, and my emerald green satin dress with the black shrug. Now, stop all the fire talk!”

Lisa: “I promise, that was my only mean question! Okay, three things you would like to say to Todd (a.k.a the king of douche canoes)….and if you can’t think of anything to say, acts of violence are encouraged lol” 🙂

McKenna: “As you might have noticed, Todd “Douche Canoe” Frank is a horrible listener. I’m pretty sure it’s because of the brain transplant he received in Las Vegas the night of his bachelor party that turned all his gray matter into frog mucus. That’s why I would probably not say anything at all, but would instead enlist Chaucer the cat to help me out. Just picture me as a ninja, crouched down in his yard, the Siamese strapped to my back. I’d jimmy open a window, drop in the cat, and he’d pee on their mattress, then their stove, then in the heating ducts! Then, I’d use my special cat whistle and call Chaucer back out, take him home, and give him that can of tuna.”

Lisa: “I love cats and while Chaucer has a distinctive personality…he’s kinda my hero, so I’m down with giving him all kinds of treats! Speaking of…did you ever buy that can of tuna for Chaucer?” 😉

McKenna: “But of course! See douche canoe answer” 🙂

Aaaaaand it’s official, I love McKenna more. If that were possible. Talking with McKenna is like talking to one of my close friends and has helped eased my nerves, because without those calming minutes, I would be a babbling buffoon in front of my ‘nerd addonis.’ Yes…I just called Chris my ‘nerd addonis’, don’t judge me!

Lisa: “So your ‘Mr. Fix It’ skills have come in very handy, especially in regards to McKenna (the camera, the arcade games, etc.) – if you hadn’t been able to volunteer your services to fix her afflicted camera, how else would you have found a way to get her number?’

Chris: “I was considering everything from offering her Halo lessons, to suggesting we go check out this cool shop down the street that has a vintage board game section with the original Candyland. And if neither of those had worked, I would have just asked. I wasn’t going to let her get away.”

He leans forward to whisper in my ear and it takes all the concentration I have in my body not to melt or fall out of my chair as I lean in to hear whatever juicy secret he is willing to tell me.

Chris: “But I did pick up Candyland for her for her birthday. Don’t tell!”

He leans back and winks at me, gracefully avoiding McKenna’s raised eyebrow and questioning stare. Her eyes dart from his face to my equally stunned one. Shit, I don’t know who I love more now! He might be one of the best boyfriends ever – gah! Can I have him?? PLEASE!!! I close my gaping mouth, that has probably been open for about 5 minutes, after his ‘oh so freakin cute revelation,’ shake my head and get back in the game.

Lisa: “First thing you thought of when you saw McKenna – besides she’s hot!”

Chris: “Definitely was hoping she wasn’t buying Modern Warfare for a boyfriend. Then once we were talking, I was thinking about how easily we’d hit it off. And yeah, I couldn’t stop thinking how hot she looked in that waterskiing squirrel tee-shirt she was wearing.”

Lisa: “OMG I love that shirt! Well and honestly, McKenna has great taste, I’m pretty sure every piece of clothing she owns is freaking awesome! So, when McKenna proposed her plan to include you in the ‘Trophy Husband’ contest, what were your first thoughts?”

Chris: “That I was going to win. No question about it. Because I was going to do everything to make sure no one else even stood a chance.”

Lisa: “Well, obviously you knew she was going on dates with other guys, did you ever watch any of the footage? Check to see what subscribers were saying? Or did you pretty much try to avoid it?”

Chris: “Nah. I don’t need to watch that stuff. Sometimes when it comes to games, you need to study the competition, and sometimes you don’t. Besides, I didn’t need to see how other dudes were acting to know the key to this girl was being myself, and most of all, finding a way to let her be herself. I had to knock down her walls, and I wasn’t going to learn to do that from a bunch of other guys fawning all over her and her money since it was never about that with me.”

Lisa: “Do you wish you had taken up McKenna’s offer to give you a ride home from the Tiki Hut?” 😉

Chris: “Yeah. But she wasn’t ready for that, and I wouldn’t have been able to resist, so I had to let her drive away.”

*sigh*

Lisa: “Alright, now I get to have some fun with both of you.”

I say as I rub my hands together. They both have beaming smiles on their faces, I love them even more for continuing to indulge in my silliness.

Lisa: “Five favorite things about the other – can be physical or non-physical” 😉

McKenna: “Hair, eyes, body, his use of proper punctuation in text messages, the fact that I beat him at Monopoly the other night–”

Chris: “That’s only because you stole Boardwalk from me and hid the houses in your bra.”

McKenna: “You didn’t seem to mind taking them out.”

Chris: “True. Wait, you only like me for my hair, eyes, body, grammar and because you play dirty in Monopoly? Then I only like you because you’re beautiful, and I feel like I could talk to you about anything, and because you’re the perfect mix of sweet and sarcastic, and for your totally awesome sense of humor, and your dog.”

McKenna: “Oh. Now there you go. Melting my heart by talking about my dog.”

I am in heaven right now – this back and forth banter is like a drug to my romantic soul and I never want this high to stop!

Lisa: “OMG you two are so cute! Clearly you both have…awesome imaginations – please tell me they’ve been put to good use?” 😉

I have to wink after that one and their smiles are even bigger than they were before – score! Chris turns to McKenna and begins….

Chris: “Well, there was that one time you left me that long note about everything you wanted to do on the trolley, and then I took you up on it the other night and we went for a ride when no one else was around.”

McKenna: “Don’t tell everyone about that, or I’ll have to tell them about all those things you told me you wanted to do to me on that staircase on the curvy section of Lombard Street.”

Chris: “I think everyone on Lombard Street might know about the time we did that. ”

This might be the closest thing ever to Nirvana – I don’t have to leave right? I can sleep on the couch, I’ll figure something out, just don’t make me ever leave them.

Lisa: “Wow, McKenna we might need to talk more afterwards! 😉 If you could go back and change anything…would you? And why?”

McKenna: “No. Because you just have to go through all the stuff to figure out what you really want.”

Chris: “Yeah. I would have kissed her that day she came to the the beach for the camera since I’d been thinking about it ever since I met her.”

Lisa: “Very good point. So, where do you see yourselves in 5 years?”

Together: “Kauai!”

Lisa: “Nice! I’m jealous! Do you have a favorite memory together?”

Chris: “Karaoke, when I wrapped my arms around her as her favorite song was playing, and she knew I was feeling the same way.”

*sigh…again* He’s just so stinkin’ perfect!

Lisa: “Alright, last questions – my favorite part…either/or…Qbert or Guitar Hero?”

McKenna: “Qbert!!”

She and I are both have huge smiles on our faces after that one…while Chris has a smug smirk – little shit, I guess he’s allowed to though!

Lisa: “Good answer – I have to say I agree! Gotta go for the…classics! 😉 Alright, this one is for Chris…for concerts – do you prefer large venues or small and intimate?”

Chris: “Definitely small and intimate. You want to feel like you’re seeing a live show, not watching a Jumbotron.”

Lisa: “Ya’ll both have excellent taste. Ok McKenna, skirts or pants?”

McKenna: “Skirts! I rarely wear pants.”

Chris’s smug smirk comes back…there is a story there, but I’ll let my imagination run off with that one!

Lisa: “Old and Classic or New and Modern?”

McKenna: “Classic for clothes, purses and songs. Modern for appliances!”

Lisa: “Last one…Boyfriend or Husband?”

McKenna: “How about the kind of husband who feels like a boyfriend and all the yumminess of that?”

With that response, Chris leans over and plants a kiss on McKenna’s cheek and she in turn wraps her arms around his neck to give him a proper kiss. Aaaaand I’m back in Nirvana. I’m shaken from my lovey dovey stupor by the door opening as a huge blond fluffy dog comes lumbering thru the house only to come and flop down in front of the couch where Chris and McKenna are seated. I know exactly who this is…Ms. Pac-Man! I reach over and scratch her ears as she looks up at me with big eyes. She really is a GOOD dog! Ms. Pac-Man’s escort walks in right behind her and it’s a good thing I’m seated because it’s the glorious….Lauren Blakely! OMG! Day = Made!

It’s at this point that I realize McKenna has been talking to me for I’m not sure how long, I heard something about dinner in, drinks and Monopoly (Sweet! I was right! We are going to play!), all three of them are looking at me with bright smiles and I just nod my head up and down like a good girl – as long as they want me to stay, my butt is glued to this chair! Chris and McKenna get up and go into the kitchen and I’m a very lucky girl (again!) because while I can capitalize on my alone time with Ms. Blakely…I plan on taking full advantage!

Lisa: “I’m so glad I got to meet you Lauren, I’ve been dying to talk to you about how much I loved Trophy Husband!”

Lauren: “You’re too sweet! I’m so glad you liked it, did you have any questions?”

Lisa: “But of course! First of all – genius concept/idea, I love it – where did you come up with it?”

Lauren: “Thank you! This novel was a case of the title appearing in thin air and demanding a story to go along with it. I love the humor and the turn-the-tables idea of a trophy husband, and since they really are quite rare, the story line naturally had to be about the pursuit of one.”

Lisa: “You make it sound so easy! So, I have to know…how in the world did you write those ‘dream’ scenes, I loved them but they were like TORTURE!!! They were so real, I wanted them to be real, but I knew they weren’t, it was like a mind-fuck!”

Lauren: “Why thank you! The phone sex scenes in Caught Up In Us were good training for the “imagined” scenes in Trophy Husband. From a writer’s perspective, they’re not that different to write – “real” sex scenes versus “dream” ones. At the end of the day, they’re all imagined, so they key is just to capture the characters’ emotions and then in turn make the reader feel.”

Lisa: “Mission accomplished…there were feelings on my part…clearly! Lol I loved each and every character in this book – did you have any inspiration? Especially for McKenna and Chris.”

Lauren: “Thank you! The characters closest to real life are likely the pets. Ms. Pac-Man is based on my first dog, and Chaucer is based on a Siamese cat I had who – you guessed it – liked to pee on electronics! The original inspiration for Chris was drawn from a gaming expert I once interviewed, who had such a natural ease and charm and laid-back coolness to him, and that was the start of Chris. McKenna comes from a lot of strong but vulnerable women I have known in my life, but her love of clothes and her girl-girly nature is pretty close to me.” 🙂

Lisa: “Awesome…so I have to ask, will Julia get a story?”

Lauren: “Perhaps! If enough readers want to know her story I’ll tell it. I’m currently writing Playing With My Heart (hoping for a late summer release for that), and Chris’ sister is the main character.”

I internally squee so loud, I almost wonder if Lauren heard me, but I’m sure she can tell from the goofy ass grin on my face that I am SUPER excited with what she just told me.

Lisa: “Do you have a favorite scene that you wrote in this book? Or a scene that almost kicked your ass?”

Lauren: “The first scene almost kicked my ass! I kid you not – the day I was supposed to send it to Kristen Proby (who included the first chapter in her book Rock With Me), I received a note from a critique partner saying the opening scene needed work. So I stopped everything and rewrote that diner scene for the tenth time!

My favorite scene is a toss-up between her date with Dave Dybdahl and the scene where she meets up with Chris at the beach and says “thanks for being a surfer,” and then he says “Or maybe the cat will pee on your iPod. If I’m lucky.””

Lisa: “Wow…”

I really have nothing else left to say, I’m in a book girl stupor – I feel like I’ve been given a glimpse into something awesome – cause let’s face it, books that we love and the authors that write the books that we love are BEYOND awesome. It’s a good thing I’m saved by Chris and McKenna coming back in with a tray of drinks. They ordered pizza and we bust out the Monopoly board game and proceed to spend way too many hours acting way younger than we are. But the real guns don’t come out until McKenna busts out ‘Halo.’ Needless to say with as much alcohol as we put away combined with Chris getting his butt kicked by a bunch of girls…I did get to sleep on the couch. I made my way back home…eventually, with the promise of another game night in the future. 🙂

Trophy Husband by Lauren Blakely

My rating: 5 of 5 stars

4.5 “Diet Coke” “Qbert” “Trying to Prove a Point” “I can’t help falling in love with you” Kisses

I love loving books…I love it so much when I can’t put a book down, or when I have to put a book down, it’s the worst, most painful, complete and utter torture. I love it when I smack myself in the face with my kindle because I literally can’t keep my eyes open any more but I can’t fathom the thought of putting down the book that I’m reading. That’s what Trophy Husband did to me. And once again…my little quest for the perfect words to sum up my kisses left my stumped and stuck again…so I refuse to choose and that’s just how it is. What can I say, I’m a rebel who breaks her own rules.

McKenna Bell…where do I begin. First of all, I loved her. To bits and pieces and back again. Couldn’t get enough of her. She’s spunky, she’s beautiful, she’s got a mind of her own, she has great taste (in many ways!), she’s a little firecracker…and I kinda wanna be her best friend. I know I say that a lot, but McKenna is definitely a girl crush for me. I can’t lie – there were moments I wanted to strangle her a little bit…a teeny tiny bit…but we all have those moments with even our best of friends…so she pulls it off nicely.

‘…but yet as The King sings about falling in love, I can’t deny that there’s a part of me that a wouldn’t mind falling in love again.
The kind where you can’t help it.
The kind that takes your breath away.
The kind that’s meant to be.
I know, I know. It’s like asking for the moon, so I’ll stop my silly daydreaming.
But, hey, at least right now I have a coveted parking spot.’

McKenna was a doll and even when she had been through something as horrible as loosing her fiancé right before her wedding to a younger, more attractive woman, she still found a way to brush herself off and move on with her life. Until she runs into them again. And the ‘newer model’ has the dream life McKenna should have had. *Cue Violins* My heart really broke for this girl – nothing about that entire situation doesn’t suck. 🙁

‘Elvis, and dreams of these foolish things. Things like love, and trust, and hope. Things like faith in another person. My heart winces for a moment, and a rebel tear forms.’

So what does McKenna do? Come up with an ingenious plan! Seriously though, the ‘Trophy Husband’ idea…who doesn’t think that’s not the most brilliant thing ever? Exactly! Cause it is…and not only is it brilliant…It’s simple. Three golden rules:
1.) Must be younger
2.) Needs to be hot
3.) Perfect body – not an ounce of fat
So what happens when the perfect candidate fits all but three of those criteria? Hmmm…that’s where the fun starts.

‘Is that so much to ask for? Love, and a talented mouth?’

Chris McCormick is my kryptonite. I can have tall, dark and handsome all day every day in my book boyfriends but guys like Chris melt me to my core. He gorgeous (of course)…he’s a sweetheart (of course!)…and the icing on the already delicious cake…he’s a nerd. DONE! I’m done…callin it quits. Give me a hot computer geek any day of the week…call me crazy but They. Do. It. For. Me. Oh yeah, he’s got other amazingly hot and wonderful traits too…like he surfs, fixes stuff and builds shit, so he’s manly on top of nerdy which makes him like a quadruple threat. I swooned into a big steamy puddle over Chris. He’s just fab-u-liciousness and I want him…now!

‘We make contact, and I’m not going to lie – there’s something about the feel of his strong hand in mine that just seems… right. Maybe it’s the firm grip, or his soft skin, or the way his eyes light up as he smiles while shaking my hand. I don’t want to let go. I want to go all black-and-white movie and have a simmering moment where his eyes smolder and, like magnets, we can’t resist. He pulls me in, dips me, and plants a devastating kiss on my lips. The kind of kiss that can ruin a girl for any other kisses for the rest of her life.’

So as much as I loved McKenna and Chris, I gotta be honest – I swooned over McKenna and Chris together more. The two of them together were…special. Like butterflies in my tummy, warm lovey feelings, mixed with holy shit they’re freakin smoking hot together. They had a great balance, I loved their banter and you just really felt their connection. Lauren is very very talented in that she knows how to write a scene that really makes my dirty book whore soul happy….but sweet lord and heaven above – I’ve never been so turned on over a few paragraphs about a dance. I mean CLEARLY I am not dancing correctly…

‘The slightest bit of contact with him turns me inside out. I’m not used to this feeling. I don’t know what to do with this feeling. It doesn’t fit in my life. It fits in a song, and I don’t know how to make it fit for me.’

There was a moment during reading that I though… ‘If she has one more imaginary anything and doesn’t make it a reality, I WILL crawl thru this book and smack her around’ – it was a little close to torture, but that’s also part of the reason why I read romance novels, to be tortured. Plus…I did enjoy them, so I can’t be mad. The secondary characters were pretty amazing too. Julia (McKenna’s sister), Hayden (best friend and next door neighbor) and Erin (other best friend) were a blast to read. All very likeable characters and once again, balanced McKenna very well. Even Dave Dybdahl, Steely Dan Duran and the other trophy husband candidates, while minor, were very…entertaining 🙂

‘It feels like he could turn me around, place his hands on my cheeks, and pull me in for a kiss. The kind that makes the world fall away. That leaves you powerless to resist, helpless to do anything but be consumed with an endless kiss. Nothing else matters, and the kiss is all there is, all there was, all there will ever be.’

I could gush about this book all day long, it kept a smile on my face and all sorts of happiness flowing thru me from beginning to end. Plus, she used the word verboten – don’t ask me why I love this word so much, but I do. I’m officially hooked on Miss. Blakely and all of her greatness, especially if this is what I can come to expect. And I’m super excited for Chris’s sisters story and hopefully for Julia’s story in the future! 🙂

 
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Lauren Blakely is an unabashed fan of clever jokes, toast, and good guys in novels. Like the heroine in CAUGHT UP IN US, she thinks life should be filled with movie kisses and coffee drinks. Lauren lives in California with her husband and children, and spends her days writing both true stories and make-believe ones.