Hot Rock by Annie Seaton -Review and Interview with the Author

 

Hot Rock
by Annie Seaton
Release Date: February 24, 2014
Genre: romance, time travel,

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HOT ROCK by Annie Seaton

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date February 24, 2014

Megan Miller is on a dream trip to research her doctoral thesis at a rock festival in England. When she arrives in town she’s stunned that her temporary neighbor is the spitting image of her 70’s rock idol, too bad he’s also a world-class jerk. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Seventies rock star Davy Morgan is a man with a secret: rockin’ in one time and living in another. He holds his privacy close to his heart, so when a beautiful girl who not only loves but truly understands his music moves in next door, he works overtime to keep her at a distance. Easier said than done. Megan follows Davy to the rock festival, but it’s not what or when it seems. The lure of the music draws them closer, but can their newfound love span across the decades, or will it get lost in time?

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REVIEW: HOT ROCK is a paranormal, romantic, time travel storyline that spans 1971 to 2014. Australian sociologist Megan Miller travels to England to research for her doctoral thesis on the cult of the rock band only to discover that her rude and flamboyant neighbor is an identical likeness to 70s rock icon Davy Morgan-a musician Megan has researched in the past.

The storyline follows Megan as she is swept back in time to 1971-to the beginning of Davy Morgan’s career and the very music festival where both of their futures begin to unfold. While staying at a small, village cottage in 2014, Megan meets ‘David Morgan’-nephew to the rock icon Davy Morgan-and an immediate love/hate relationship begins. But when David disappears and Megan follows closely behind, our couple will take their friendship to the next level as Davy’s career and that of his band begin its’ rise up the charts in 1971.

The relationship between Megan and Davy is quick to develop as the storyline encompasses a few days in the life. From frenemies to lovers, our couple is pulled to one another like magnets and there is no stopping the future as it unfolds in the past.

Annie Seaton draws the reader into the fashion, music and discrimination of 1971: where Davy Morgan meets David Bowie; and where ‘peace, love and, rock and roll’ was the anthem of a generation.

HOT ROCK is a quick read, where one woman discovers that her love for the music and the man from 1971 knows no boundaries including the time line and several generations of rock stars and music.

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy

TRC: Hi Annie and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the release of HOT ROCK.

We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

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This is me… straight from my bio… and it’s all true!

Annie: Annie Seaton lives on the edge of the South Pacific Ocean on the east coast of Australia and she is fulfilling her lifelong dream of working in the publishing industry.

As well as being a publicist and an editor, she is also a writer and has been delighted to discover that readers love reading her stories as much as she loves writing them.
Annie lives by the beach with her own hero of many years and since the children have fled the nest, they share their home with “Bob” the dog and two white cats.
When she is not writing, editing or promoting her authors’ books, she can be found in her garden or walking on the beach…or most likely on her deck overlooking the ocean, a chilled glass of wine in hand as the sun sets.

TRC: HOT ROCK is your February 24, 2014 release. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

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Annie: Megan Miller is on a dream trip to research her doctoral thesis at a rock festival in England. When she arrives in town she’s stunned that her temporary neighbor is the spitting image of her 70’s rock idol, too bad he’s also a world-class jerk. So why can’t she stop thinking about him? Seventies rock star Davy Morgan is a man with a secret: rockin’ in one time and living in another. He holds his privacy close to his heart, so when a beautiful girl who not only loves but truly understands his music moves in next door, he works overtime to keep her at a distance. Easier said than done. Megan follows Davy to the rock festival, but it’s not what or when it seems. The lure of the music draws them closer, but can their newfound love span across the decades, or will it get lost in time?

TRC: Who or what was the inspiration behind HOT ROCK? Is the character of Davy/David Morgan based in reality-on any particular male rock singer (past or present)?

Annie: I’ve been a fan of seventies music since…the seventies! It seems that many of my favourite singers were Davids…so my fictional rock star had to be a David. I guess the music that Davy Morgan plays would be similar to David Bowie and in my mind, I imagined him to look like David Essex in his heyday!

TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series or is this a standalone storyline?

Annie: This is a standalone book..which is unusual for me. All of my other books are in series.

TRC: How do you keep the plot unpredictable without sacrificing content and believability?

Annie: When I write each day, I go back to the beginning and re edit what I have written so far. That way I can ensure that I am leaving enough clues, yet without giving too much away. I loved the creative freedom of writing the time travel in tis, but my editors kept a very close watch on the continuity…so that was easy to follow the different time periods.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in this storyline, which models or actors best represents your ideal image?

Annie: Being an Aussie… I would have to say Chris Hemsworth.. but he’d need to have black curly hair! Johnny Depp would run a close second.

Anne Hathaway would bring that air of vulnerability to Megan’s character.

TRC: Outback Affair (October 2013) is the third storyline in your Affair series. Do you have any plans for another instalment?

Annie: Funny you should ask that. Many of my readers aare asking for another one and I’ve been thinking of a long lost brother…from before Tessa married. We’ll see.

TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?

Annie: That is such a good question. I used to be what is called an ‘organic writer’ otherwise known as a panster, but my editors prefer a good synopsis as soon as the book is contracted. Unfortunately my characters never do what I planned but I do think it enriches my stories .

TRC: The mark of a good writer is to pull the reader into the storyline so that they experience the emotions along with the characters. What do you believe a writer must do to make this happen? Where do you believe writer’s fail in this endeavor?

Annie: The old maxim ‘show versus tell’ is the key to his. It is so important to use words, settings and feelings that let the reader live in the character’s skin. I find this process quite easy as I also work as an editor and am constantly teaching my authors how to remove filter words and phrases that sets up a barrier between the character and the reader’s response.

I think writer’s fail when they provide too much narrative and don’t let the actions and events come out through the characters immersion in a scene.

TRC: Writer’s Block is a very real phenomenon. How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of writer’s block?

Annie: As soon as I am stuck for an idea , I head to the beach. Water is my element and feeds my creative muse (as you can see by my Facebook photos) Many a scene has been written in my head as I walk along the beach.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, background) did you encounter writing this particular story and series?

Annie: It was easy to write this setting as I visited Glastonbury about eight years ago and had many photos that I took on that visit. I had to rely on my memory for the smells and sounds of the English countryside. I didn’t go to the rock festival so I relied on videos. There is a wealth of material on the internet for research.
I usually write in a quiet room, but I actually played a lot of Peter Frampton music as I wrote Hot Rock…to keep me in the zone.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information with other authors or friends and family. With whom do you bounce ideas?

Annie: I have a couple of fabulous writer friends …who I talk to every day on social media. We bounce ideas for each of our current stories and two of my friends read my manuscripts before they go to the editor.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Annie: I am working on three stories at once…yes I know…crazy writer! I have just commenced the third book in th Half Moon Bay series and am currently trying to get into Georgie’s skin. I am writing a historical book about a missing Emerald necklace (with pirates!) and I am working on a single title…a political romantic thriller set in the outback of Australia.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Annie: Thanks so much for having me visit. I love to hear from readers and answer every email or FB message that they send me. I love talking about my books and I have a reader’s group for each book.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food :Potato

Favorite Dessert: Tiramisu

Favorite TV Show: Big Bang Theory

Last Movie You Saw: Hmmm. Can’t remember…too busy writing. Probably one of the Pirates of the Caribbean!

Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark

Secret Celebrity Crush: David Bowie

Last Vacation Destination: Hayman Island

Pet Peeve: Reality TV shows

TRC: Thank you Annie for taking the time to answer our questions. We wish you all the best.

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