Ruby Red
by D. L. Croisette
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GENRE: Contemporary Romance
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BLURB:
One night stands only need apply.
Ali Stinson is having a bad day. Her afternoon tryst was interrupted (before they got to the good part) to discover her investment manager ran away with all her money. Now she has to keep up appearances with her high society friends, find a dress for an upcoming charity event, and not fall in love with Sam, the cute bartender, who insists on helping her. Thing is, she’s 90% sure she doesn’t want help. Adulting is hard.
Looking for work, not love.
Sam Freemont is having a strange day. He was in the middle of the best kiss of his life when his boss walked in and halted the fun, which is not helping with the low profile he’s trying to maintain. Now he can’t get Ali off his mind or out of his dreams. Good thing she’s a regular at the swanky resort he just started working at. Gives him time to find a way back to her lips. Or better yet, into her heart.
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EXCERPT
Sam sipped the cool juice and licked his lips. His mind filtered back to recent events in the cabana. The taste of the woman’s mouth on his, the sensation as he ran his hands over her silky-smooth skin, the way her body fit when crushed against his.
The moment he’d turned and noticed her sitting on the lounger, he’d been struck with a need to be with the bikini-clad woman. It had been like nothing he’d ever experienced before. He’d almost had to stop himself from throwing her over his shoulder and taking her back to his cave to have his way with her.
What had she done to him?
He gulped the rest of the chilled contents of the glass, attempting to extinguish the reignited fire. One glass wouldn’t do it. He refilled the cup then downed it as well. Poured a third glass. This woman had stirred up a permanent volcano under his skin.
It wasn’t like him to walk away from his responsibilities for the promise of sex, but one look from her and all reason had flown out the window. He couldn’t quite believe what had happened. If his boss hadn’t interrupted them, sex was where they were headed. He was sure of that.
What got him the most was when she’d smiled at him. A beautiful smile. One capable of stopping an elephant in its tracks. Yet, behind the expression, he’d sensed sadness. No, desolation. His longing intensified, shifting to an immediate need to protect her, to do whatever he could to make her better. Even if it involved nothing more than holding her hand.
A Word With the Author
1.Did you always want to be an author?
I’ve always been a storyteller. My mom likes to joke that I was telling stories in one form or another before I could even talk. Once I could talk, there was no stopping me. I’d regale anyone who would listen (and a few who were probably sleeping) with the tales of the characters that talk to me in my mind. When my family would tune out, I told my stories to my invisible friend Jackson. He always listened.
Eventually, I created a career where I could at least work with words, if not the way I really wanted to. Writing has been a passion, either creatively or for my corporate job. But it wasn’t until last year when I lost my current role that I seriously considered trying to publish. The day after I left the company I’d worked at for fifteen years, I submitted the manuscript of Ruby Red - A Romance to Champagne Book Group, and a month later we were negotiating a publishing contract.
2.Tell us about the publication of your first book.
Life throws us curve balls every now and again. Sometimes those curve balls turn into home runs. Okay, enough with the sports analogies. They are not really my thing. Storytelling is my thing. I wrote Ruby Red - A Romance on a dare. At lunch, a group of my friends were discussing a recent romance story, their disappointment in yet another alpha lead male character. My friend Mina turned to me and said I could write a better hero and a more romantic story. I laughed—I don’t write romance. She dared me too, and I went home that night and wrote the first three chapters of Ruby Red. Two months later, I had a complete first draft of Ali and Sam’s love story. And I was officially a romance writer. I love it. (Pardon the pun.)
3.Besides yourself, who is your favorite author in the genre you write in?
Oh, this question is tough. I want to say; it depends. If we’re talking the master of romance, particularly a slow burn romance, which I adore, it will always be Jane Austen. She wrote contemporary romances for her day. If we’re talking current contemporary romances, I’m working my way through Colleen Hoover’s collection and haven’t found one I don’t wish I’d read earlier yet.
4.What's the best part of being an author? The worst?
The best thing about being an author is weaving the magic of a scene. Finding that ideal collection of words or sentences that capture the emotion my heart and soul are feeling in that moment as I’m imagining the events of my book and my characters. That is true alchemy.
The worst part? Writing a two-hundred-word blurb that encapsulates all the romance packed into my story, plus convinces you to read it without spilling the secrets Ali and Sam are keeping.
5.What are you working on now?
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AUTHOR Bio and Links:
D.L. Croisette is a storyteller. She had characters in her head before she had words in her mouth. Now she spins them into romantic stories full of drama and heart. Collector of international friends, avid traveller and always up for a new adventure, she snaps photos to remember each escapade, and peppers the best experiences into her stories. Ruby Red is her debut romance novel, and she’s probably at an outdoor café right now, dreaming up a bold new heroine to stir up trouble.
Drop by www.dlcroisette.com for a romantic quote, behind-the-scene goodies or to say hi.
Website/Blog URL: https://www.dlcroisette.com
Twitter : https://twitter.com/dlcroisette
Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/dlcroisette
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/dlcroisette
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@dlcroisette
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/dlcroisette
Goodreads: https://goodreads.com/author/show/19932120.D_L_Croisette
Amazon buy link: https://www.amazon.com/Ruby-Red-D-L-Croisette-ebook/dp/B09Z9W5BPH/
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GIVEAWAY INFORMATION
D. L. Croisette will be awarding a $25 Amazon or Barnes and Noble GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during the tour.
Thank you for hosting.
ReplyDeleteThanks for chatting with me.
ReplyDeleteI really like the cover and think the book sounds good.
ReplyDeleteThanks Sherry! I'm glad you liked the cover. Fun fact: The woman on the pictured is also the photographer.
ReplyDeleteYou're welcome Bea! I'm excited you're going to read Ali and Sam's story. Happy reading!
ReplyDeleteLove the title!
ReplyDelete