Hope. Dreams. Life... Love: Hanami

Hanami

by V.C. Buckley

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GENRE: New Adult romantic suspense

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BLURB:

SAKURA SHINTANI is the Dragon Clan heir-Japan's most notorious crime dynasty. But can she keep this fact a secret from the prying brats of Oniyuri Academy?
She tries to stay out of their radar while mastering her demons and keeping her murderous temper under control, but having the face of an angel only attracts everyone's attention... including the arrogant heir to Asia's most powerful tycoon, KENJIN KIYOHARA.
He senses the danger, but Sakura is too interesting to be left alone.

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EXCERPT:

Jin rolled his eyes, settling his gaze back on the girl. He wasn’t surprised with their reaction.

The new girl was hot, but so what? It took more than a pretty face to get his attention. He wasn’t that easy to impress, and he was certain she’d be throwing herself at him anyway. Just like everybody else. He was sure this girl wasn’t any different from the love-crazed hyenas that stalked him.

Jin pushed back his shoulders, seeing her start towards him with her eyes still trailing on the ground.

Already? Jin thought, suppressing a laugh. He crossed his arms, waiting for her to get closer, and sure enough she stopped right in front of him. She was even prettier up close. Asian but with a hint of Caucasian mixed in.

“What?” he asked, smirking. He already knew what she might say: whether he was Kenjin Kiyohara, the sole heir to Kiyohara Industries? The questions were all the same. He thought she would have at least waited until class was over like the rest of them.

“Move your feet. You’re blocking my way,” the girl said in a sharp tone. She shifted her gaze up at him like a threatening knife. Her topaz-colored eyes darkened, sending icy tremors down his back. He felt as if he’d been hit by a curse as his mind turned blank.

When she finally looked away, Jin was able to regain his senses. He tucked his legs out of her way, and she passed, leaving goosebumps in her wake. His eyes followed her, waiting to see if she’d look back, but she never did. Jin’s hands were trembling. His thoughts became jumbled while he struggled not to look anymore.

What was that? What just happened? This was a first for him. He couldn’t contain himself. His presence had no impact whatsoever. Instead she looked like she wanted to kill him!

Jin took a deep breath, replaying the moment in his head. Who was this girl? She sure got his attention, all right—and it left him in pieces. He fought the urge to look back again.

This girl…Jin thought. There was something about her. He couldn’t shake off the feeling. She seemed dangerous.

A Talk With the Author

1.Did you always want to be an author?

-Yes. I believe story telling was innate. I’ve always enjoyed telling stories and I found fulfillment in writing them down. So I knew that someday I would eventually get to it and pursue writing as a career, it was just a matter of when.

2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.

-HANAMI is my debut novel. It’s a contemporary new adult romance that won an award at the BEACON 2015 contest of FCRW, a chapter under the prestigious Romance Writers of America. It came in second in the Romantic Suspense category, which garnered a lot of interest from different agents and publishing houses. Many of them wanted to change aspects of the book, which they believed would help make it more relatable to American readers, but would change the entire feel of the story. I did adapt some of their inputs and am thankful for it, because it made my book stronger, until I met Passion in Print Press in a pitch contest. They loved the story and offered a contract for publication.

3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre in which you write?

This is a hard question, because I’ve come across so many romance books that get added to my list of favorites and it is quite a diverse pile. There’s Bronwen Evans and Shannon Patterson when it comes to regency, then there’s Geraldine Solon, Chris Mariano and Constance Bretes for contemporary romances. When it comes to paranormal or sci-fi romances there’s Stephanie Meyer and Lea Kirk. There’s a new author I’m keeping my eye on = Cheryl Rider, whose work have already won several awards even before publication.

4.What's the best part of being an author? The worse?

I’d say the best part about being an author, is having the privilege of playing god in the world you created. You make the rules and you write the story. Everything and anything can go depending on what you feel and what you say. And nothing is really final. You have the freedom to change what you’ve written and make it something else. The creativity is endless.

When it comes to the worse part, I’d say the solitary environment can be one. But I’m not really sure if I would call it worse because it really isn’t that bad, especially when you’re an introvert like me. I actually look forward to getting into my book and finishing what I’ve started. I had to learn to manage my time now though, and take breaks to see friends a few times a month, so I don’t turn into a complete hermit.

5.What projects are you working on now?

I am working on the sequel to HANAMI. It will be released this year, 2018. I’m really excited about it because everything comes into full circle. I also have other projects on que and waiting for my attention.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:

V.C. Buckley was born in an isolated government facility and shipped off to an Island in Southeast Asia where she grew up braving tropical thunderstorms and warding off evil villains. At sixteen she was discovered by an agent and jetted off all over the world. Her stories come from gritty moments of her childhood to the glitz of her travels. She now lives in Manila with her husband, two kids and an herb garden that has hijacked her balcony.

Other information:

Website: www.vcbuckley.com

Twitter:

@vccbuckley

or www.twitter.com/vccbuckley

Facebook:

@vcccbuckley

or www.facebook.com/vcccbuckley

Goodreads:

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/17167092.V_C_Buckley

Buy links:

Amazon: