6/13/2017

WE'RE CELEBRATING A NEW RELEASE FROM RITA FINALIST--SARAH ANDRE

I'm excited to welcome back Sarah Andre one of my Golden Heart sisters.  Thanks for joining the crew today and celebrating the release of - CAPTURING THE QUEEN--Book 2 in the Damaged Heroes series.  This is another great title, Sarah. 
And one more congratulations on the awesome honor of being a 2017 RITA Finalist for Book 1 in the series -- TALL, DARK and DAMAGED. And you talked about it here on the GLIAS Blog. 

Don't forget to comment below.  Sarah is giving away a digital or signed paperback copy of Capturing the Queen.

MEET SARAH ANDRE

Sarah Andre is a 2017 RITA® finalist, which is Romance Writers of America highest award of distinction. Sarah’s novels include: Capturing the Queen (2017), Tall, Dark and Damaged (2016) Locked, Loaded and Lying (2015), plus a short story in an anthology, From Florida with Love (2016.) She lives in serene Southwest FL with her husband and two naughty Pomeranians. When she’s not writing, Sarah is either reading romance or suspense novels, exercising to rude alternative rock music or coloring. Yes, you heard right. She’s all over those coloring books for adults.

Let's hear a little bit about CAPTURING THE QUEEN.

THE STORY BLURB 
Restoration artist Sean Quinn is perfectly content spending his downtime devouring classical literature, while keeping his OCD and fourth-degree black belt under wraps. But when his FBI agent brother coerces him into investigating stolen artifacts, Sean becomes the target of a ruthless smuggling ring that funds terrorists.  

Gretch Allen, a beautiful man-magnet, hides a world of hurt under her icy exterior. When Sean rescues her from a stalker, she discovers her co-worker has an alpha-hot fire burning beneath his geeky exterior. As barriers between them begin crumbling, however, she accidentally places herself in much more extremist danger. 

Unable to stop the unraveling events from turning deadly, Sean must conjure his inner hero to save his city and capture the heart of the queen.

Nan: Love the trailer.



READ A LITTLE, BUY THE BOOK


Gretch kicked her leg around and sat up. Her heel struck the pavement with a sharp click. “Why were you at Teeny’s Martinis last night?”
Sean lowered the mug to the table, turning it in microscopic increments until the café logo faced him squarely. “I overheard you tell Hannah where you were going.” He traced the logo with his thumbnail. “Thought I’d check it out. Buy you a drink.”
“Then why didn’t you?”
He paused, because he’d braced for: “I’d have to be awfully drunk to accept a drink from you.” No way would he tell her he’d lost his nerve, bumped into the other woman slinking his way out the backdoor, and ended up agreeing to her lewd proposition. “Turns out I’m not into that scene.” Any of it. But because Gretch hadn’t battered him with the sentence he’d expected, he added, “So…would you’ve had a drink with me?”
She didn’t answer. Sean glanced at the patrons, the bustling square, the long shadows easing toward their table, while she cocked her head and examined her nails. He retraced the logo, jiggling his knee. Her silence strained every muscle in him, stretched him like some medieval torture rack. Five more seconds and he’d beg for mercy.
“You’re a nice guy,” Gretch finally said in that awful kind tone his brothers’ girlfriends used. He braced for The Adjectives. Weird. Strange. Peculiar… She rested her arms halfway across the table, fingers splayed, still looking at them instead of him. “I was so sure I couldn’t tolerate any man this afternoon without going ballistic, but you’re…different.”
Hope rose. Different wasn’t bad! “Maybe we can—”
A faint smile appeared on her face, and his vocal chords seized. Hope swan-dived off Kilimanjaro, the free fall stealing his oxygen.
“You’d never survive me, Sean.”
The nerd panicking within wholeheartedly believed her. The fourth-degree black belt took exception. “You hardly know me.”
“I date a certain kind of guy for a certain kind of reason.” She reached over and twisted the mug in his hands so the logo slanted at an unacceptable sixty-two degree angle. Immediately his skin crawled with the need to right it, but she stuck her chin in her hand and waited, like a cat watching a cornered mouse.
He folded his arms. “What insurmountable feat does it take to be that guy?” His jiggling knee made the table quake.
Gretch laughed, and the throaty sound washed over him, almost capturing his attention from the mug that needed turning. Desperately.
“It’d take a miracle.” She rose gracefully. “See you at work.”
Sean multi-tasked dragging the cup into position, watching the smooth sway of her hips, and thinking up a miracle. He inhaled until his lungs hurt. Amid the dominant aromas of coffee and gas fumes, he could still catch her peppery scent.

She’d called him different. That was huge. His smile hurt his cheeks.
Nan:  What a great excerpt. Thanks for sharing!

ORDER THE BOOK

A LIGHTING ROUND OF Q&A WITH SARAH ANDRE

NAN: How often do you get lost in a story?
SARAH:  If I had a dime for every book I got lost in, I’d be as rich as JK Rowling! Reading is my crack. I would prefer it over any other form of entertainment. Unfortunately, since I’ve become a writer I rarely have guiltless opportunities to sit for long periods of time and indulge in my addiction.
Nan: Oh I would love to get paid to read!!

NAN:   Cast your book using fairy tale and/or cartoon characters.
SARAH:  The premise is Beauty and the Geek. Sean and Gretch are co-workers; he’s an introvert, lover of classical music and literature, and has annoying OCD tendencies. She’s got a supermodel bod, an ex-personal trainer energy and a short temper. The snark is off the charts between the two. They had bit parts in Tall, Dark and Damaged and jumped off the page whenever they were together. I had to see where it would go. I’m really pleased with the result. 
Nan: What a great premise. Can't wait to read it.

NAN: What will always make you smile, even on a bad day?

SARAH: Easy! My four-year-old Pomeranians, Bo and Taz, aka The Boyz
I told the breeder I didn’t want males, but due to a mix up she only had two littermate brothers left. I even considered taking the one I was holding (Bo) and coming back another month (a 4-hour drive) for a girl, when the other little pup skidded around the corner. One look at his naughty face and I turned to my sister and said with love and loathing: “Oh, God, I have two boys.”  
Nan:  LOL!

NAN:   What’s the last show you binge watched?
SARAH: My husband and I just finished watching a British cop series called Happy Valley. Intense plots, amazing dialogue- I highly recommend it! We have two more episodes (still to air) of Better Call Saul, which is the prequel to Breaking Bad (which I haven’t seen.) We store a few episodes up at a time, because in true binge form, one hour isn’t enough. I think it’s the best show on television.

NAN: Benedict Cumberbatch or Chris Pine?
SARAH: Oh, Benedict- that moody, broody, lion’s face and those glinting blue eyes? (Fanning myself!) Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t kick Chris Pine off my island, but when a beta’s personality is so massive he becomes drool-worthy, that’s a deeper attraction for me than a pretty face/hot bod combo.
Nan: I just watched Dr. Strange. Okay - I'm a fan. But I still love Chris Pine.

NAN'S GOTTA ASK: What would you say is your most interesting quirk?
SARAH'S GOTTA ANSWER: The split personality that emerges when I exercise. 😦
Any other time I’m a fun, kind, considerate daydreamer. But the only way I can push myself at the gym or on a running path is to turn into a snarling beast who listens to deafeningly rude alternative rock and mouths all the swear words.
I’m quite horrified, and would like to issue a blanket apology to anyone who’s seen that other me.
Nan: That is so funny -- and I can relate.


UP NEXT
A Savage Trick, Damaged Heroes, Book Three, hopefully June, 2018
Nan: Another great title.

PREVIOUS RELEASES

Tall, Dark and Damaged, Damaged Heroes, Book One (2017 RWA RITA® finalist)

From Florida with Love: An Anthology by SWFL Romance Writers

Locked, Loaded and Lying

FIND SARAH ANDRE:
Contact: Sarah@SarahAndre.com  
Website: SarahAndre.com 
Facebook: Author Page 
Twitter: __@SarahRSWriter
Goodreads: GR Page
Blogs: Kiss and Thrill 

SARAH WANTS TO KNOW:  Everyone’s got a little OCD in them. (Confession: I only eat one food item on my plate at a time. All my potatoes before I can eat meat…) What’s your odd quirk? 

Sarah is giving away digital or signed paperback copy of Capturing the Queen to one lucky commenter.iNG Make sure you leave your email address 

27 comments:

  1. I have a lot of quirks, but my biggest one would have to be my morning routine. If that gets messed up - or out of order - my whole day feels like it's out of sync. ( I am really not a morning person and the routine helps.)

    marypres(AT)gmail(DOT)com

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    1. I agree. Being rushed or having a super early morning flight always makes me feel 'off' the rest of the day. Thanks for commenting, Mary!

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  2. Just have to say how thrilled I am for your RITA nomination! Now, let's see...which quirk to mention...well, since you're talking about food, I always save the best on my plate for last! I'm a delayed gratification girl!

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    1. You're a better woman that me, Erika! That's the first portion I eat, while it's hot and yummmy. :) Thank you for stopping over today!!

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  3. Mornin', Sarah :) I'm sitting here reflecting on quirks...I think, for me, it's always those things that are just a little "off". I can't stand crooked pictures, and all my accent pieces have to be positioned the best way...things like that. Once I get the placement right, I'm good though...the more casual side of me comes out :) ('Scuse me a moment, my monitor isn't angled right, have to make that puppy flow right in the mix) lol I enjoyed the excerpt, and the interview :) And if I ever get near you on the running path, I'm scootin' over, sugar...I recognize "The Eye of the Tiger" when I see it! :)

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    1. You crack me up, Loretta! I agree about the crooked picture thing though. Visually I need balance.
      Thanks for stopping over-

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  4. Congratulations, Sarah!!! My OCD quirk is so more of a habit that I make my family follow. I like to keep my spices in alphabetical order. And I like to shelve my books by cover color. Maybe that's why I left my job as a librarian! LOL!!! Hope you have a great release day!!

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    1. See now, I'd have expected you to say you had a Dewey decimal system- I know you. The amount of books you probably posses could start a new library! :)
      Thanks for commenting, Sharon!

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  5. This beta hero's gonna beat them all, Sarah!

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    1. Ha! Right? First time for everything. We'll see if Amazon reviewers like it. :)
      Thank you for stopping by, Kerryn!

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  6. Sp glad you could share this day with us Sarah!!
    I prefer to think of my OCD tendencies as organizational skills -- spice racks alphabetized. Spreadsheets and color coding. And who doesn't eat Skittles by organizing their colors and making sure they are eaten by color evenly. Saving the best for last!
    Have a fabulous launch day. Hope there is prosecco waiting for you tonight!

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    1. Thank you so much for hosting me, and the well wishes (and Prosecco!)
      I do eat gummies and M&Ms by color. I hadn't thought about that until you mentioned it. I'm more OCD than I thought- everyone who has commented is adding to my list of "uh oh, I do that too."
      :)

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  7. Love the interview, Nan and Sarah! And love the new book excerpt!
    I also have to eat all of one thing on my plate before moving to the next. Spices are alphabetized. But my desk is a mess.

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    1. My desk is a mess, but when I worked in an office it wasn't. Ever since becoming a writer this desk is a IED war zone. I wonder what that means...
      :)

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  8. I loved Tall, Dark and Dangerous, so I'm really looking forward to this new one. And yes, I think almost EVERYONE has a few OCD tendencies. My house is a disaster, but the towels have to be hung straight in the bathrooms!

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    1. Oh, thank you so much, Meg! Hope you enjoy Gretch and Sean and the tremendous amount of snark flying between them.
      I know it was them, because I'm not that witty. :)

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  9. So many quirks it's hard to provide just one--my chai tea has to steep for *precisely* five minutes. The water must be measured not eyeballed, and the creamer and sweetener must be meticulously measure as well. I have to make my own tea. :)

    Sara, this sounds like another amazing book. Can't wait to read it and here's to much success.

    XO,
    McCall

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    1. Aw, thank you so much. I would pay to see a YouTube video or live FB post of you making that tea, girl! :)
      Thanks for stopping by.

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  10. Sarah,
    Bo and Taz are too cute for words. I can see how they'd keep you smiling 'round the clock. Congratulations on your RITA final. I'll be watching the live stream on awards night.

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  11. can't think of any

    bn100candg at hotmail dot com

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  12. Great post, Sarah. I look forward to reading this newest installment in your Tall, Dark and Damaged Series. :) Hmm, one quirk is definitely saving whatever is on the plate that's my favorite for the last and eating in order of "like the least" to "like the most." ;)

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  13. Congrats, Sarah! So excited for you!

    After 23 years together my husband has totally cured me of my former OCD tidiness, but I still get nervous as soon as the low gas light comes on in my car. I have to head straight to the gas station to fill up.

    Good luck on CTQ!

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    1. Thanks, Lark.
      I don't even wait for that light- I'm panicking at 1/4 full for some reason. Hubby likes it on empty before filling, and I hyperventilate when I borrow his car- and am in a hurry- and get the ding-ding signal. :)

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  14. Congrats to Erika Kelly- random winner from yesterday's commenters! You've won a copy of Capturing the Queen. Hope you enjoy!

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