Fighting Hearts (Hearts So Fine #1) by Annabeth Saryu-Review, Interview & Giveaway
FIGHTING HEARTS
Hearts So Fine #1
by Annabeth Saryu
Release Date: June 4, 2018
Genre: adult,contemporary, MMA, romance
FREE ebook Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk / Amazon.au /
“Sometimes big secrets come in even bigger packages…”
Stressed-out trauma nurse Louise Becker gets a gigantic surprise when a locker room mix-up results in an up close and very personal encounter with MMA heavyweight fighter “Madman” Markovski. Finding herself helplessly drawn to his warrior body and quiet strength, Louise buries her feelings until she suddenly needs a place to crash and Madman comes to her rescue. Confined to close quarters, their urgent needs can no longer be denied, despite Louise knowing that Madman is hiding something from her…
Usalv “Madman” Markovski has lived a lifetime of rejection and loss. While part of him craves love and stability, he knows it doesn’t last. In the end, everyone leaves. His longing for Louise is all-consuming, but that complicates things even more. Can she handle all he has to offer, or will the depths of his need scare her away? When his continued denial puts Louise in a dangerous situation, Usalv must make a choice—to trust in their love or to fight against his own heart’s desire.
••••••••••
REVIEW: Who would’ve thought that a small series of honest mistakes would’ve led to a very enjoyable love story? First Coach Rodgers mistakes Louise as a male when he is looking for a teacher to hire at his gym. And then to make things interesting, Louise uses the wrong locker room where she meets our rugged but chivalrous hero, Usalv. And then our fun begins…
The scene where Louise and Usalv meet was very amusing though it must’ve been awkward and embarrassing for Louise. Despite the awkward situation Louise found herself in, Usalv was a total gentlemen to Louise. For Starters, Usalv did not act like a creeper peeping tom in the locker room despite them being alone in the locker room. Knowing a class was finishing up and a bunch of guys would be coming in, Usalv held off the guys to get Louise extra time and privacy to change and run out without it being even more embarrassing for her. I liked Usalv right away right there.
As far as heroes go, I really liked Usalv. Seeing him in action in his fight and sparring sessions are a thing of beauty. I mean he is a bad ass fighter. Despite his bad ass-ery, he is a gentleman both inside and outside the bedroom. Bluntly put Usalv is a very large man through and through *let that thought sink in*. Aware that he is very well endowed below the belt, Usalv always makes sure Louise is ready to take him without any pain. It’s the principle that gets to me, to put someone else’s happiness, wants, and well-being over your own is one of the most romantic things in the world.
As for the relationship between Usalv and Louise, I will say it was realistic yet romantic. I appreciated that it was a relationship that grew slowly. They did start out as friends who train or teach at the same gym. They showed one another great respect for each other’s fighting abilities even though they use different fighting styles. They have time demanding lifestyles with Louise being a trauma nurse and going to school to Usalv’s training schedule. With that being said, while they do not get to spend as much time together as they want they were often creative on making things work. The only thing I did not like about the book was the fight between Usalv and Louise. For starters, I really did not like Coach Rodgers intervening on Usalv and Louise’s personal lives pretty much proposing a 3 week dry spell before Usalv’s big fight. Let’s get real here, when you are getting good sex only to go on a dry spell for several weeks, getting irritable and short-tempered on one another was bound to happen.
If you’ve ever had fantasies about MMA fighters or you just have a thing for them, I recommend reaching for this book. This book has something for everyone. Realistic romance filled with enough love as any other romance novel. Couple with different schedules and commitments but able to somehow make it work can bring hope to those couples living that reality. Awesome fight scenes for those who love their action novels. And of course a cliché but totally swoon worthy ending with satisfying closure. I enjoyed this book immensely and I hope you will too if you give this book a shot.
Copy supplied for review
Reviewed by Xtina
TRC: Hi Annabeth and welcome to The Reading Café.
Annabeth: It’s nice to be here. Thanks for hosting me.
TRC: Congratulations on the recent release of your first book FIGHTING HEARTS.
Annabeth:I appreciate that. I still can’t believe it’s out there.
TRC: We would like to start with some background information. Would you please tell us something about yourself?
Follow: Website / Goodreads / Facebook / Amazon Author Page
Annabeth: I’m a native Mid-Westerner, who moved to the Pacific Northwest to attend school. I’d won an essay contest in a fairly prestigious publication, which probably had a lot to do with me getting admitted. I’ve always loved writing, and the ‘day jobs’ I’ve thrived at were those that had a huge writing component to them.
TRC: Who or what influenced your career in writing?
Annabeth: My grandmother. She not only had great stories of her own, but she was a great storyteller. She was also tirelessly supportive of my writing.
TRC: What challenges or difficulties have you encountered writing and publishing your first novel?
Annabeth: I think the biggest challenge was the ever-changing landscape of romance publishing itself. Fighting Hearts was a finalist in an RWA chapter writing contest. After I finished the book, I was faced with the question: traditional or self publish?In the end, I chose self-publishing. The book was done, and I wanted it out there! That’s just my personality. It’s also nice to be able to chose your editor and cover designer. I’ve been fortunate to find great, great people and that makes this experience even more fun.
TRC: Would you please tell us something about the premise of FIGHTING HEARTS and the Hearts So fine series?
Annabeth: Fighting Hearts is an opposites attract, friends-to-lovers steamy romance about a trauma nurse who moves in with an MMA fighter after losing her apartment. They meet in a locker room mix-up at the gym he trains at when she takes a side job as a martial arts instructor, something she’s trained in since childhood.
The Hearts So Fine series follows a group of Chicago-based nurses, their friends and the fighting men who fall in love with them. All books in the series are stand alone stories.
TRC: How many books do you have planned for the series?
Annabeth: Right now, seven. The second book in the series, Crazy Hearts, will be out in the fall.
TRC: Did you pull from your experiences in the health care field for the story
line premise?
Annabeth: Somewhat. Many nurses I know speak with a blunt candor that sometimes carries over into non-clinical conversations. Louise (my heroine) definitely has that personality trait. It’s both a surprise and a turn-on for the hero (Usalv). It also makes for some lively, fun-to-read exchanges between them!
TRC: What kind of research/plotting did you do, and how long did you spend researching /plotting before beginning FIGHTING HEARTS?
Annabeth: Not much before I started. Over time, I’ve had both active and passive interests in martial arts. Because of my day job working in hospitals, I knew something about hospital life, The locker room scene, where the hero and heroine first meet, came to me in the middle of the night and I just started writing it. Then on a day-to-day basis, as the story unfolded I’d do the necessary research before and during the writing of the chapters. That method was very, very slow. It’s hard to quantify how much time I spent researching vs writing that way.
TRC: What was the hardest scene to write?
Annabeth:The HEA. You think that would be easy, because we all know how it’s supposed to end, right? But by that point in the story, my characters had been through a lot, and I didn’t want to just end things because it was time to wrap-it-up. So I tried hard not to trivialize their feelings for the sake of expediency. I wanted the characters to remain their authentic selves–.just happier.
Remember the old school romances, where the hero would propose to the heroine on the last page of the book, and she was shocked to learn he felt that way about her, too? That type of HEA is a lot easier to write, but it can be a jarring experience when a character does something out-of-the-blue like that for the sake of preserving the plot.
My editor, Holly Atkinson was a great help making sure that things stayed authentic.
TRC: How will publishing FIGHTING HEARTS affect your writing style going forward?
Annabeth: When I started the book I was a panster, but by the end I was more of a plotter. With my second book, Crazy Hearts, I started out a plotter and have remained that way.
TRC: Do you believe the cover image plays a deciding factor for many readers in the process of selecting a book or new series to read?
Annabeth:Absolutely. Especially in the age of digital publishing. It’s really the primary way a reader determines if a book is the ‘type’ they’re looking for. If people aren’t interested in the cover art, they’ll never get to the book blurb.
TRC: When writing a storyline, do the characters direct the writing or do you direct the characters?
Annabeth: On a good writing day, it’s like I’m taking dictation from them. On a bad writing day, it feels like they’ve ghosted me and I’ve got to figure out how to get them talking again.. When I start writing, I know the journey that the characters have to go on, but they choose the path forward. Writer’s block for me is when the characters stop to ask for directions. Are you sure that’s how I feel right now? Are you sure we want to do this here?”
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?
Annabeth: Strong world building. The stories’ world needs to be treated like a character itself. The physical setting, its cultural norms, and the people who occupy it, must act and react to the characters. And the characters must do the same. These interactions should help motivate them along their journey, and provide another vehicle for characters to reveal their thoughts and emotions.
As a writer, I think it can be risky to produce pages of passive description of the characters world, at least in this genre. Even having the characters react emotionally to the setting can leave a reader wondering why they are being given this information right now.
TRC: Do you listen to music while writing? If so, does the style of music influence the storyline direction? Characters?
Annabeth: Never while I’m working on a manuscript. Cold stone silence is best for me. But when I plotting, or working through a troublesome scene I do like music. If it’s an upbeat scene, like the meet cute or a first kiss, then I’ve probably got Carly Rae Jepson playing. If it’s a dark scene, like a break up or big black moment, I’m playing something more dark or angsty. Like Chainsmokers or even nineties grunge sometimes. It all depends.
TRC: What do you believe is the biggest misconception people have about authors?
Annabeth: That we live stress-free, easy-going lives with no deadlines or pressure. That it’s not a real job.
TRC: What is something that few, if anybody, knows about you?
Annabeth: I love old jewelry from yard and estate sales.
TRC: On what are you currently working?
Annabeth: Crazy Hearts, the second book in the Hearts So Fine Series. It’s Zoe and Mike’s story.
TRC: Would you like to add anything else?
My email address is author@annabethsaryu.com if you just want to say hi or comment on the books.
My website is https://www.annabethsaryu.com
I’m launching my author newsletter this fall, before the release of Crazy Hearts. Readers can sign up to receive the latest news on the Hearts So Fine Series, including free content, release dates, giveaways and contests. https://www.annabethsaryu.com/contact
amazon: amazon.com/author/annabethsaryu
goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/goodreadscomannabethsaryu
facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annabeth.saryu.9
LIGHTNING ROUND
Favorite Food: Fresh shellfish.
Favorite Dessert: Fruit pie, especially my mother’s blueberry pie recipe.
Favorite TV Show:Toss up between Peaky Blinders and Ballers. Make more episodes please!
Last Movie You Saw: Hollywood Dirt, starring Emma Rigby on that new Passionflix channel.
Dark or Milk Chocolate: Dark
Secret Celebrity Crush: Dwayne Johnson
Last Vacation Destination:Jaipur, India.
Do you have any pets?: Two dogs. One standard poodle and one rough collie.
Last book you read: Outliers, by Malcolm Gladwell.
TRC: Thank you Annabeth for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on your the release of FIGHTING HEARTS. We wish you much success.
Annabeth Saryu is offering a $25 Amazon Gift card to ONE (1) commenter and an ebook copy of FIGHTING HEARTS to ONE (1) commenter.
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