Q&A with Tracy Lawson

Can you give us a brief summary of Resist?

QUICK SUMMARY OF COUNTERACT: 

The Resistance Series takes place in a near-future version of the United States. The powerful Office of Civilian Safety and Defense has enacted a long list of Civilian Restrictions designed to keep the people safe from frequent terrorist attacks, but it hasn’t worked: as the story opens, the threat of a chemical weapons attack is literally hanging over everyone’s heads.

Careen takes the OCSD’s offered antidote, but the side effects cause her to hallucinate. Her erratic behavior attracts the attention of a young law enforcement officer, who mistakenly pegs her as a dissident. Careen doesn’t realize the antidote is causing her confusion…until she runs out on the day of the anticipated attack.

Tommy, recuperating from injuries sustained in a recent auto accident, is unaware that there’s a link between that accident, which killed his parents, and the chemical weapons attack that threatens him now. When he discovers that working out before he takes his dose of the antidote helps him feel more like himself, he defies the rules to regain his strength and his sanity. On the day of the attack, he meets Careen, who just might be the girl of his dreams, and tries to save her by sharing his last dose of the antidote, even though doing so could potentially hasten his own death. 

What Careen and Tommy learn about the true nature of the terrorist threat spurs them to take action; their decisions lead them to run afoul of local law enforcement, team up with an underground resistance group, and ultimately take their quest for the truth to the highest reaches of the United States government.

QUICK SUMMARY OF RESIST:

In Resist, the second volume in the Resistance Series, Tommy and Careen are no longer naïve, frightened teenagers who believe the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense can protect them from terrorist attacks. They’ve discovered the OCSD’s miracle antidote’s true purpose: to create a population bereft of free will, incapable of defying the tyrannical OCSD. They join the Resistance, but on their first mission, things spin out of control and soon they’re on the run, dodging the quadrant marshals in a headlong dash for the Resistance’s secret headquarters.
Being part of the Resistance presents them with new challenges. Not everyone working for change will prove trustworthy, and plans to spark revolution go awry with consequences greater than they could’ve imagined. Tommy and Careen’s relationship is tested when their philosophical differences and the pressures of interpersonal rivalries and jealousy put a strain on their romance. Can they make time for each other while trying to start a revolution?

What was the inspiration behind The Resistance Series?

I was mentoring a friend of my daughter’s when the initial idea for Counteract came about. Chase is a pretty sharp guy and an excellent writer—and when he was in high school I had a lot of fun working with him and editing some of his short stories. We had finished working on a story about baseball, a broken nose, and a broken heart, and were ready to start something new, when he suggested we write scenes in response to the prompt: “What if everyone were on LSD and all thoughts were communal?” It was certainly thought provoking! Chase created the characters Tommy and Eduardo, I created Careen, and right away, we knew we were onto something. Obviously, the story morphed and changed a lot before it became the finished version of Counteract—but that was how it all began.

Did you always plan to write another book in the series?

I let my husband read the first draft of Counteract when I was about a third of the way through the original outline. He was enthusiastic and supportive and suggested developing a story line that could be carried forward if I chose to make Counteract the first in a series. 

I liked the idea of doing more than one book about Tommy and Careen, and as I wrote the rest of the first draft, I pinpointed elements of the story I’d need to develop and expand to pave the way for a series.

How do the characters of Tommy and Careen develop in Resist?

Tommy and Careen are law-abiding citizens until they accidentally discover that the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense lied about the terrorist attack and why it mandated the use of the Counteractive System of Defense drug. They go from being accepting and compliant to impulsively joining a rebel group that’s working to overthrow the oppressive government agency, without having a chance to think about what they’re doing and why. 

They’ve only known each other for a week, and their relationship has progressed far too quickly—they became a team, then a couple, without really getting to know each other, and soon they realize they don’t have much in common. 

Tommy’s all for the physical aspects of revolution, and is eager to learn about guns and explosives. Careen finds kindred spirits among the older leaders of the group, who are committed to sway the public’s allegiance away from the OCSD by waging a war of information. Her pacifistic approach clashes with his need to prove himself on the field of battle, and further complicates their partnership. 

What do you enjoy about this series that cannot be found in any of your other books? 

The Resistance Series is my first published fiction. My other book, Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More, is based on a journal kept by my great-great-great grandfather during his family’s 1838 horse and wagon trip from Cincinnati to New York City. 

I did a ton of research before writing that book, and amassed two filing cabinet drawers full of information related to the 22-page journal! During the publication process, I nearly went crazy double-checking all my facts and citations, and by the time the book went to print, I never wanted to see another footnote. Fiction? Yes, please! 

Now that I’ve had a little break from footnotes, I’m enjoying writing another nonfiction history book. I’m planning to merge my two favorite genres and write some YA historical fiction sometime after I finish the Resistance Series. 

The main characters in The Resistance Series are Tommy and Careen. Where did you find your inspiration for them?  

My characters are a little bit of me, and little bits of people around me, but as I spend time with them in the context of the story, they become less like people in the real world; I don’t stop developing them until they are individuals: unique and unlike anyone else.

Chase created Tommy, and at first I wasn’t as close to him as I was Careen. That changed as I wrote more scenes for Tommy—especially the scene when he and Careen meet. His reactions and his choices came from inside me; before long, he was unique and independent of any outside influence. 

How does the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense (OCSD) differ from other dystopian governments in young adult series like The Hunger Games and Divergent? 

In the Resistance Series, there has been no rebellion, no cataclysmic event. The dystopian world in which they live has been created by fear, engineered by an enemy masquerading as a protector.

The Office of Civilian Safety and Defense was created to protect against the rampant terrorism that has affected the nation for the better part of the twenty-first century. Little by little, the OCSD usurped power from the traditional three branches of the US government. 

The OCSD’s long list of Civilian Restrictions was designed to maximize safety and security. Most people don’t consider themselves oppressed or fettered by their lack of freedom. Teenagers like Tommy and Careen don’t know things were ever different. They can’t remember a time when teenagers learned how to drive and went on dates to malls and movie theaters. 

What elements test the relationship between Tommy and Careen in Resist? 

Tommy and Careen had only each other to rely on in Counteract, and their relationship progressed quickly—perhaps a little too quickly. 
Now they’ve joined the Resistance, and they’re part of a community for the first time. They have a hard time adjusting to the constant scrutiny, and Tommy laments about how their relationship seemed a lot less complicated when they were alone.   

Their philosophical differences about how to fight the OCSD drive a wedge between them, and interpersonal rivalries and jealousy test their budding relationship. 

What do you hope readers take away from this book? 

First and foremost, I want readers enjoy the story! I hope they relate to Tommy and Careen, and look forward to reading the next installment in the series. 

Books for young adults often reflect the reader’s need to question authority and rebel against the rules set down by older generations; the Resistance Series looks at what can happen when people surrender our civil liberties in exchange for the promise of safety and security. 

I hope readers understand that protagonists in dystopian books are often branded as outcasts or rebels because they question the restrictive rules of their societies—and that individuals who change the world rarely do so by going along with the herd.

What kind of research did you do for the series? 

Please don’t call the police if you see what’s in my browser history! I’ve Googled the effects of various controlled substances, different types of explosives, and interrogation techniques. 

I learned to shoot a handgun so that my characters’ first experiences with weapons would be authentic. At first it was scary, but now I enjoy going to the target range. I’m no Annie Oakley yet, but I’m at least as good as Scarlett O’Hara, who once saucily told Rhett Butler, “I can shoot straight, if I don’t have to shoot too far.” 

 What made you want to write books for young readers? 

I love reading YA, and I taught dance classes for twenty years before I got serious about writing. I spent a lot of time around my students, my daughter, and her friends, so it seemed natural to write for a teen audience.

How long did it take you to write Resist?  

I wrote Resist in a little over a year. It went a lot faster than Counteract (which took almost three years) because I knew the characters well and had planned ways to continue the story into the second book. 

Do you have any interesting writing quirks? 

I like to write with pen and paper—preferably outside. I sit quietly until one of the characters starts to speak, and then I write down what they say. Some days I’ll scribble for pages and pages, and when I look at the clock I’ll be surprised how much time has flown by! I usually let those pages sit for at least a few hours, sometimes a few days, before I transcribe them into the computer, and that’s where the scenes really begin to take shape. 

As far as writing snacks go, I’m partial to sunflower seeds and Diet Dr Pepper!

What does your family think of your writing? 

My family has been very supportive. My husband knows how to urge me on when I get discouraged, and my daughter says I’m a better choreographer now that I’ve become an author. I guess writing helped me refine how to advance a story through dance. 

I haven’t shared much about what happens in Resist with my family. My five teenaged nieces can’t wait to read it, and I can’t wait to hear what they think!

Tell us where we can find your book and more information about you.  

My books are available on Amazon.com in paperback and Kindle, and on Barnes & Noble’s online store. If you live near Columbus, Ohio, you can buy signed copies of my books at three independent stores: The Book Loft of German Village, Mary B’s, and Urban Emporium.

You can get the behind-the-scenes scoop on all things Resistance Series, see book trailers, and check out my blog at http://counteractbook.com. You can also find me on Twitter @TracySLawson and on Instagram as TracyLawsonAuthor.

About Tracy Lawson

Tracy knew she wanted to be a writer from the time she could read. She grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and attended Princeton High School. While in a student there, she turned her writing efforts toward journalism. She was an editor for the school newspaper, news director for the Princeton Instructional Television station, and also worked as a reporter and feature writer for the Suburban Press weekly newspaper.

She graduated summa cum laude from Ohio University in 1988, with a Bachelor of Science in Communications degree.

After working for a time in advertising and as an investigative analyst for the Florida Board of Bar Examiners, Tracy settled into a career in the performing arts, teaching dance and choreographing musicals.

Tracy has had a long-time interest in her family’s history and genealogy, and she never lost the desire to write.

In 1990, her parents gave her a special Christmas present. It was a journal written by her great-great-great grandfather, Henry Rogers.  He, his wife, Maria, and her parents traveled on a horse-drawn wagon from Cincinnati to Philadelphia, then on to Trenton, New Jersey, during the summer of 1838. The purpose of this working trip was to observe working mills so they could improve the family milling business, and also visit relatives in Ohio and New Jersey.  During this trip, Henry kept a journal of what he observed along the way. Tracy enjoyed reading it, and became curious about many of the places Henry and his entourage visited.

After making most of the same trip herself by automobile–along with her young daughter–during the summers of 2003 and 2004, and keeping her own journal, Tracy was inspired to compare and share information about both trips–taken over a century and a half apart–in her first published book, Fips, Bots, Doggeries, and More: Explorations of Henry Rogers’ 1838 Journal of Travel from Southwestern Ohio to New York City.

Tracy’s coming of age novel, Counteract, is slated for release on August 6, 2014–which just also happens to be her birthday! The sequel, Resist, is nearly done, and she’s starting to think about the third volume in the series.

Tracy lives in Dallas with her husband, daughter, and three spoiled cats.

About Resist

This book asks, “What if the government controlled every aspect of your life?” Resist, continues the fast-paced dystopian series. After Tommy and Careen’s plan to rescue a group of dissenters imprisoned by the Office of Civilian Safety and Defense spins out of control, Tommy and Careen are on the run, dodging the quadrant marshals in a headlong dash for the remote mountain headquarters of the Resistance. There they meet more members of the rebel group—not all of whom can be trusted. This book will appeal to YA and fans of dystopian thrillers such as ‘The Hunger Games.’

 

 

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Q&A with Shane Kuhn

Do you tend to outline before you write or come up with the plot as you go?

I am a meticulous outliner. When I studied screenwriting at American Film Institute, we were trained to outline scripts before drafting so we were certain our story was fitting into the three-act structure of American cinema. The logic was that you didn’t want to get stuck with the “what happens next?” question along the way because that could impede your ability to write great scenes. For me, this makes sense for book writing as well. When I am actually composing a passage, I need to be clear about what is happening next so I can concentrate on prose and dialogue. Also, knowing this helps with writing transitions that keep things flowing. 

Many of the high profile targets in HOSTILE TAKEOVER are more than just mastermind criminals - they have serious fighting skills. Do you research fighting styles and build some of your characters around their skills? Or do you come up with a character, their crime, and then add a combat skill as you see fit?

The latter. When I incorporate a fighting skill into a character, it is usually when I am composing the fight passage. In my mind, most of the characters in my books should know more than one style. So, I tend to throw in a style based on the scene. For instance, a grappling style (Kung Fu or Jiu Jitsu) often works best in a one-on-one fight or in close quarters, like a small dive bar. More open styles of fighting, like Capoeira or Silat, or even White Eyebrow Kung Fu, might be more apropos with multiple fighters in a larger space. Often times, I just come up with it in the moment, which is a lot more fun than planning!

John is incredibly vulnerable--a new side for his character--when he's with Alice. What inspired this vulnerability in such a volatile character?

In The Intern’s Handbook, John is looking for normalcy and, more importantly, love—even though he might not openly admit that last part. The end of Intern’s was not in my original outline. That’s the one thing that came about after I lived with John and Alice for the time it took me to write the book. The more I wrote, the more I fell in love with their twisted love affair and the more I wanted to delve into it. So, I wrote the ending like I did to show that John’s character arc at the end was defined by a need for love that transcended even his desire to live. That carried over into Hostile Takeover, which had a narrative that is actually driven by their love affair versus having that be secondary to plot. I think we all desire this kind of love on some level, the visceral, animal kind of love that makes us take leave of our senses and give everything to someone else. 

If John and Alice were rock bands, which bands would they be?

Great question. John would be Nirvana. He is such a lost soul, like Kurt, and he bleeds honesty all over the place and makes a big beautiful mess. Also, his life is a roller coaster ride of dynamics, dipping down into emotional angst (Dumb), blasting vertically into blind rage (Tourette’s), and plunging into the abyss of nihilistic misery (Negative Creep). Alice is one of those bands whose next moves would be impossible to predict. But she is also a sexy, seductive band that can lure you into her web and then tear you head off and suck out your life juices. For her I would choose Radiohead. Their music is so incredibly addictive yet wildly unpredictable from album to album. They can be heavy and grind you out (Bones), drip honey on your tongue (Subterranean Homesick Alien), or tear your heart out with guilt (Thinking About You) and do it all with perfectly transcendent arrangements. 

If you were to assume the role of an assassin right now, what kind of internship would you want to be in to complete your mission?

I would want to be an intern for the Donald Trump presidential campaign. But I wouldn’t want to assassinate him, I would want to assassinate his character by cutting it open and allowing people to see the snot-nosed, primitive alien brat some extraterrestrial race impregnated him with (through tainted Steak Diane) in a fiendish, yet hopelessly misguided, attempt to take over the world. 

Why did you write your new book?

I fell hopelessly in love with John Lago and Alice and could not imagine breaking up our literary threesome. Writing Lago Thrillers is so much fun I can’t wait to get back to the typer (Buk reference) and wail like I imagine guitar players wail on their Les Pauls. And I’m going to keep rocking this until the characters tell me “enough already!”

What’s the best advice you’ve ever received?

My dad used to say, “When the going gets tough, the tough get going.” He taught me how to suffer well, which sounds awful but it’s actually an excellent skill. We would go hunting for hours in the freezing cold so I had to learn to be patient and just deal with numb feet, sore muscles, and boredom. This helped me to form a strong work ethic and it really takes a lot of hardship for me to even think about complaining, let alone quit. It’s kind of like A Boy Named Sue – he knew he wouldn’t be there for me forever and wanted me to be able to deal with the harshness of the world. 

What question do you wish people would ask about your work (that they don’t ask)?

I love it when people ask me about what they see under the surface of the plot. When you read Intern’s and Hostile, the plots are dense and full of action. For some people, it’s easy to get lost in that and miss the deeper character narratives. So, when someone recognizes Hostile Takeover as a love story, and asks about that, I jump for joy because then I feel they can really see who I am in the pages. 

What are you favorite kinds of characters to write?

Characters in desperate need of a change in their lives. A character has to have an arc to be interesting – as in, they need to start the story at a certain definable point and end it a changed person in some way. The more profound the change, the better. So, if they are seeking change, that makes the arc more powerful because their motivation is clear throughout the story and you’re reading and wondering if they will make it there of if they will learn they actually wanted something different. 

What scares you as a writer, and why?

Bored readers. When I write, I am ALWAYS thinking about readers and what they might like to experience in my books. They are spending good money and taking even more valuable time to read my work and I want them to feel like it was time and money well spent. In that way, I guess I am really motivated to entertain people, just like musicians and filmmakers. I want to immerse readers in a great escape (their escape) for a few hours and hopefully make them happy. I am always terrified someone might read my work and yawn and fall asleep. That would suck.

Favorite Scene From Guiding Lights by Jessica Florence

The morning after they meet scene. Nera is helping Aggie the B&B owner with breakfast and she keeps eyeing the biscuits. Finally she gets one and stuffs her face when Wolfe walks up behind her and is all “Morning Nera.” She get a little embarrassed because she is wearing her purple sweat pants, “I like big books and I can not lie” t-shirt with a mouth full of biscuit. 

She ends up having to sit next to him at the table and he asks he she wants to more biscuits, obviously teasing her, and she cracks me up because she’s all “Jokes on him, I love biscuits.” Then accepts them. Their fingers touch and she gets the tingles. I just love it when they have a little spark at the first tough

When Evan, Aggie’s husband asks Wolfe what brings him to Durness, he answers that he just wanted to get away from the madness. Nera hears the sadness in his voice and grabs his hand for support. It was a little out of character for her but she just couldn’t help herself. 
It’s the first time they truly touch (not just a graze), and it’s intense. She tries to pull her hand away but he refuses to let her go. It’s a big moment for me because she kinda sees where things will go with them. He gives her the look of determination before he releases her hand. That for me as the writer and I hope as the reader is a “Heck yeah here we go moment.”  The whole scene was comical but showed the start of their relationship. You could see in his eyes that what she did meant something to him. He was determined that he was going to pursue her and not let her go. Sigh. I love Wolfe.

Jessica Florence makes her home in Southwest Florida where she runs her own business, and of course writing! She one day after reading a book a day for a year just sat down and started writing, thus finding a new amazing hobby that she was looking for, for years, and that was also very therapeutic. 

She spends her days reading, writing, watching TV, working, playing with her cute as hell baby, and black German Shepherd Rogue aka Rogue-i-bear, and of course tormenting her husband ;)

She also enjoys taking naps, bubble baths, eating pickles like candy, and having Harry Potter marathons.

Connect with Jennifer via Website, Facebook or Twitter

About the Book

He sings of suffering. His eyes hold the pain of living in sorrow.

The moment our gaze meets recognition flares within. 

We are tortured souls drifting in a sea of darkness.

He knows I have secrets that I'll never tell.

I am numb

I am broken

I am dirty

I can never be the guiding light through the darkness he thinks I am.

I have forsaken my past, I rely on keeping myself shut off.

But he has secrets too, secrets that would destroy everything I have left.

I wish things were different, that maybe we could be each other's lifeline.

But destiny drags us down like an anchor.

The broken can only drift in the sea barely staying afloat.

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The Sisters Club Backstory by Lauren Baratz-Logsted

Like many women who’ve only ever had a brother, or brothers or even no siblings at all, I’ve often wondered: What would it be like to have a sister? So many of my girlfriends have sisters, with those relationships falling everywhere on the spectrum, from completely dysfunctional to so amazing that all you can do when you see them together is sit back and experience a twinge of envy. 

Another subject that’s always fascinated me is the differences between the families we’re born into and the families we choose for ourselves. 

One of the great things about being an author is that, if you want to, you can explore any ideas that enter your head. There’s a piece of classic advice to writers: Write what you know. I’ve always hated that. If writers were to only explore what they already know, there would be a whole lot less books in certain genres – Sci-Fi, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, you name it. Rather, I believe that the advice should be is: Write what you are most interested in learning about. 

With over 20 published books to my name, I’d have to say that the vast majority of them have had main characters who were only children. Notable exceptions would be The Thin Pink Line and Crossing the Line, madcap comedies for adults involving a sociopath who fakes an entire pregnancy and who has a dysfunctional relationship with her sister; The Twin’s Daughter, a YA suspense novel set in Victorian England about a young girl who discovers that her gorgeous society mother has an identical twin who was raised in the poorhouse; and The Sisters 8, a nine-book series for readers ages 6-10 about octuplets whose parents go missing on New Year’s Eve, leaving the sisters to solve the mystery of what happened to Mom and Dad while keeping the outside world from realizing that eight little girls are living home alone. 

More recently, I decided to explore the idea of the families we’re born into vs. the families we choose for ourselves in a new novel for adults called THE SISTERS CLUB. It features four very different women. Twentysomething Cindy suffers from low self-esteem, lives with her musician boyfriend, and has a sister in the psychiatric hospital. Lise is a university professor with dreams of being a published novelist who has a sister doing good works in Africa. Sylvia, the oldest of the four at fifty, is a caterer who recently lost her twin to breast cancer. And Diana, severely overweight and often wondering why her gorgeous husband chose her, has a toxic relationship with her sister Artemis back in England. One day on a whim, Diana puts a notice in a local bookstore’s newsletter, looking for like-minded women to join a book club, but what she’s really hoping for is to find women who will fulfill the sister function in each other’s lives. 

I enjoyed writing THE SISTERS CLUB. I hope you enjoy reading it. If not, you know who to blame!

Lauren Baratz-Logsted is the author of over 20 books for adults, teens and children. Follow her on Twitter @LaurenBaratzL or visit her at www.laurenbaratzlogsted.com.

About the Book

Four women have little in common other than where they live and the joyous complications of having sisters. Cindy waits for her own life to begin as she sees her sister going in and out of hospitals. Lise has made the boldest move of her life, even as her sister spends every day putting herself at risk to improve the lives of others. Diana is an ocean apart from her sister, but worries that her marriage is the relationship separated by the most distance. Sylvia has lost her twin sister to breast cancer, a disease that runs in the family, and fears that she will die without having ever really lived.

When Diana places an ad in the local newsletter, Cindy, Lise, and Sylvia show up thinking they are joining a book club, but what they discover is something far deeper and more profound than any of them ever imagined

With wit, charm, and pathos, this mesmerizing tale of sisters, both born and built, enthralls on every page.

My Favorite Thing About Reading and Writing Romance by Michelle Sharp

Hmm. I think my love of romance has been evolving since I was young. Even as a teenager, very few things in life would make me happier than being swept up into a great love story. So obviously before I started writing books, I was an avid romance reader. I suppose most writers probably start out as voracious readers. I’ve always been especially drawn to romantic suspense. When you add the element of danger, things heat up that much more.

So often I would read a novel and think, “Wow, wouldn’t it have been awesome if this had happened.” Or maybe, “I want to know how the hero would react if that had happened.” So I’d kind of rework favorite scenes in my head.

Soon the obsession evolved more. I had a ton of ideas for books of my own. I’d be driving down the road or in the shower and think, wouldn’t it cool if there was a book featuring this kind of character. And she’d meet this guy, and he’d be that kind of character. Eventually my vivid imagination and my journalism degree just sort of naturally evolved into a passion for writing.

Unfortunately, unless you’re very gifted or very lucky, most people don’t sit down at a key board and hack out a worthy novel the first time around. I don’t want to make it sound easy-breezy, like I had all these ideas, and voila, a novel appeared. It so did NOT happen that way. It took several years of writing classes, workshops, and contests before I had something I’d dare to release to the public. Even now, with two books published and two more releasing in the next couple months, I’m still taking classes, diving into workshops, and trying to hone the obsession into something that will bring an audience pleasure.

So to answer the original question, I didn’t think anything could get better than reading a great romance, but I was wrong. Writing romance is pretty freaking fun, too. Maybe because of the power an author has. What other line of work do you get to invent a world and control what everyone does, where they live, all their thoughts? I don’t know if I have a very favorite thing about writing romance. But I can say a new fantasy comes to life with every “the end” I write—and that just never gets old. 

Award-winning author, Michelle Sharp, has been nominated for a 2014 National Readers Choice Award for Best Romantic Suspense and Best First Book. In addition, her debut novel Dream Huntress has been selected as a finalist in the 2015 Daphne Du Maurier award for Excellence in Mystery and Suspense.

Although she has a degree in Journalism from Southern Illinois University, she finds weaving tales of danger, deception, and love much preferable to reporting the cold, hard facts. Her goal in life? To team resilient, kickass heroines with the sexy Alpha’s who love them.

As most authors probably are, she is an avid reader. Growing up in St. Louis has made her a die-hard Cardinals fan, and having a child with Down Syndrome has made her passionate about all issues regarding special needs kiddos. She’s also a proud member of Romance Writers of America and Missouri Romance Writers. You can learn more about her at michelleshapbooks.com, where you will also connect Facebook or Twitter. 

About the Book

He’s taking on the bad girl of romance…

Author Jessie Jameson is the Bad Girl of romance, making a huge name for herself writing love stories with sizzling hot sex scenes. No one needs to know that her real-life inspiration is sexy publishing exec Grayson Reynolds. Or that after the hottest sex of her life, Grayson walked out on her.

Grayson’s finally taken the reins of his family’s publishing business, and he’s determined to sell off the romance division. But Jessie Jameson’s contract is complicating things. It’s like she’s been trying to ruin him ever since the mind-blowing night they shared-the night she walked out on him.

Now the sparks are flying. Heated, sexy sparks. It’s a Wild West showdown between Jessie and Grayson. But when Romance ends up in bed with Business, only one can walk away…

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Behind the What Happens In Vegas Series by Brooklyn Skye

Hello, and thank you for having me!
 
When Entangled asked me to write this book, I had no idea how much fun working with multiple authors (and their editors) on a continuity series would be. For those who don't know, the What Happens in Vegas series has (or will have) 20 contributing authors who all write a story that takes place in Vegas, at the same hotel, on the same weekend during a Romance Lovers Convention. Details thread from one book to the next, and I can't tell you what a joy it was to write. If you enjoyed JUST ONE REASON, be sure to check out the other What Happens in Vegas stories, which can be found on the Entangled Lovestruck web page!

Brooklyn Skye grew up in a small town where she quickly realized writing was an escape from small town life. Really, she’s just your average awkward girl who’s obsessed with words. Follow her on Facebook or Twitter @brooklyn__skye or visit her website for updates, teasers, giveaways, and more.

About the Book

He’s more than she bargained for…

As far as Declan Waterford is concerned, women are off limits-at least until he can earn enough money for his brother’s surgery. The dueling piano gig at Vegas’s Masquerade hotel barely pays enough…but if Declan can convince his boss to promote him, he’ll be set. And the Senior VP of the hotel’s gorgeous daughter might just be the “in” Declan needs.

Between drowning in mistakes at her editorial internship and fighting off her father’s demands that she relocate to Vegas and join his hotel empire, Melody Sumner doesn’t have time for love-or one-night stands with sexy Irish piano players-no matter how appetizing Declan is. But even though she knows he’s only interested in her for one reason, the intense chemistry between them has her thinking dangerous thoughts…