Fueled by K. Bromberg-Blog Tour and Interview with the Author

Fueled by K.Bromberg-Blog Tour and Interview with the Author

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Fueled (Driven Trilogy #2)
by K. Bromberg
Release Date: August 2013
Blog Tour and Interview with the Author

 Interview

TRC: Hi Kristy and welcome to The Reading Café. Congratulations on the success of the Driven series.

K BrombergKristy: Thank you so much for having me! It’s all still a bit surreal that people are reading about the voices talking to me in my head—and liking them no less!

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

Follow: Website/Facebook/Twitter /Goodreads

Kristy: I am a working mother that lives in Southern California with my husband and three young children. I spend my days wrangling children, driving them to and from practice and school all the while doing my “real” job before tucking them in and spending time on my “dream” job of being an author.

DrivenTRC: DRIVEN is your May 2013 release and first book in the Driven Trilogy. Would you please tell us something about the premise?

Order:  Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

Click HERE for our review of DRIVEN (Driven #1) by K. Bromberg

Kristy: Driven is a book that revolves around the irrefutable attraction between two people who appear to be opposites but have more in common than one might think. They find each other at a time in their lives when they need each other the most despite either of them thinking that. The story follows their battle of wills, the challenge and chase, along with seven little boys that will steal your heart.

TRC: Are any of the characters or situations in the storyline based in reality or an amalgamation of your imagination and current headlines?

Kristy: None of the characters are based from reality. They all reside strictly in my imagination.

TRC: If you could virtually cast the leading characters in the series, which models or actors would be represent your projected image?

Kristy: That’s a hard question because I don’t think I’d ever find that image I have in my head of Colton or Rylee in real person. Yes—someone can have dark hair and green eyes…but it’s not Colton. And besides, even if I did know someone, I prefer not to say because I don’t want to ruin one of my readers’ images in their heads—does that make sense? For instance, everyone disagrees who should play Christian Grey—and in all honesty, I don’t think they’ll ever cast the correct person because in my head he is an image only I have conjured up.

Fueled CoverTRC: FUELED is your second installment and August 2013 release in the Driven Trilogy. Please tell us something about the premise?

Order: Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

Click HERE for our review of FUELED.

Kristy: Fueled is the journey of Rylee and Colton. As the story unfolds we see a myriad of things: forgiveness, understanding one another, the building blocks and sometimes knocking down of the foundation of a relationship. Their growing love (well, what Rylee would define as love) is tough. It’s not always easy or pretty—especially when you have baggage that you bring to the table like they do—but Fueled is their story and aabout figuring their place together in the midst of all of it. Oh, and you also get to see things through Colton’s eyes for several chapters.

I’ll finish by saying that Fueled is a roller coast of extreme emotions. If you thought Driven made you feel, Fueled will make it seem like the kiddie ride.

TRC: Many of the recently popular adult series, once labeled as trilogies, are now going beyond into 4, 5 and 6 books. If the DRIVEN series continues to be a success, will you continue the storylines e.g. novellas or full length novels, or have you an ending in mind for the series?

Kristy: When you read the last page of Crashed, Rylee and Colton’s story will be told in completion. I promised that from the beginning and will stick by that. I will say that I’ve pondered writing a short novella that goes back and covers a few events between the last chapter and the epilogue…but we’ll see how I feel when I finish writing Crashed. I’ve been questioned if I plan on writing any spin-off books of other characters such as Haddie or Becks…there are possibilities there but I’m focusing strictly on Crashed right now and giving Rylee and Colton the respect they deserve by writing a story that will knock your socks off.

TRC: FUELED is a storyline that is heartbreaking, frustrating, painful and a roller coaster of emotions. 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 writers fail in this endeavor?

Kristy: Wow! Tough question. In my case, I just write how I think I would feel in a situation, luckily it works (or at least that’s what I’m told by readers). I think part of drawing people in, and it’s just how I do it, is I throw grammar out the window (it drives people crazy—especially my editor). Thoughts and emotions that run through your head are not always complete. Sometimes they are repeated or incomplete. That’s how I write. When Rylee is angry I write it short, sharp sentences clumped together. When she’s content, it’s more fluid with longer sentences that are more flowery. That’s just me though—I’m super wordy and I have a habit of saying the same thing in different ways in a short span so the editing process is longer for me. So in short, I think an author needs to write how someone really thinks/talks/feels when they are in the emotion they are trying to portray.

I think author’s fall short when they don’t invest time in building their characters. When a reader is invested in the character, it’s easier for them to relate and feel the character’s plight.

TRC: Will you tell us how YOU were able to handle the more disturbing and heartbreaking aspects of this particular storyline? Did you get emotionally involved with the events of this novel?

Kristy: Of course I am emotionally involved in the storyline since these people are my creation and I most definitely care about them. I think as an author you look at things a little differently—of course the emotion is engaging—but my focus is how to make you feel that emotion…how to draw you, the reader, in. What actions or descriptions are going to make you react and feel. It’s one of those things that when you are in the middle of a situation you aren’t as affected as someone on the outside, looking in.

The funny thing is that I’ve read the story during the editing process so many times that I’m kind of numb to the emotion in it now…and I forgot how powerful some of the scenes were until I started hearing from the bloggers who were reading their ARCs. Their reactions were pretty eye-opening to the honest and raw emotion in the book.

TRC: Rylee and Colton’s ‘catharsis’ scenes are fraught with tears, anxiety and misunderstanding. What do you believe will have to happen before our
couple is able to move forward?

Kristy: I think in order for Colton and Rylee to move forward, all of the cards need to be thrown on the table. In Fueled, the reader sees a lot of the cards or can make intelligent inferences from things, but that doesn’t mean the other character does. For instance, Fueled has some chapters that take place from Colton’s POV. We see his thoughts and know things about him that Rylee can guess at but doesn’t whole-heartedly know. So I think that everything needs to be laid out bare – souls, hearts, fears, pasts—and that will allow them the fortitude and trust to move forward.

TRC: CRASHED is the third installment. Have you started writing and if so, can you hint at the storyline or is it best to remain secretive at this point? 😉

Kristy: Crashed is heavily outlined but not written yet. I released Driven and Fueled three months apart…luckily Fueled was basically written when I published Driven or I would have never finished it in that short amount of time. Editing takes forever and I never took into account the time consumption of marketing the books…so when I finish up the promo stuff for Fueled, I’m diving head first into Crashed…I’m antsy to get writing again! With that said, I’ve spent a lot of time with the computer glued to my fingertips as of late, and I’m going to take a little time to play with my kids a little more because I’m starting to have that mother’s guilt creep in that I’m not doing enough with them…if that makes sense.

TRC: Do you have a projected date of release for CRASHED?

Kristy: In my head, yes—but I am not saying yet. I’d rather give a date I know that I can hit rather than give one now and keep moving it because that’s frustrating to readers. I’m being realistic that the holidays are coming up soon and family comes first so I need to make sure they are taken care of…but rest assured, Crashed is getting written. I don’t want to rush something out that is less than par just to finish the book in a set time frame.

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

Driven series

Kristy: I like to think that I direct the characters but I think a bit of both happens. There are plenty of times that I have a scene set a certain way and all of the sudden the character does or says something in my head that’s completely off course. It’s those times that I start typing furiously to catch up to my thoughts because the character screams at me to do something else—and usually, those end up being the best parts of the book.

TRC: Are you a plotter or a pantster?

Kristy: I’m definitely a plotter—You have to be when writing a trilogy because you have to weave ribbons in Book 1 that will take hold and come to light in Book 3. I think my outline for Crashed is something like 78 pages written in longhand. But here’s the thing, no matter how detailed an outline, when I write, sometimes the best things in the book happen on the fly as I mentioned before…all of the sudden they hit and then I go backwards to make it work.

TRC: What challenges or difficulties (research, logistics, car racing lingo) did you encounter writing this particular story/series?

Kristy: I had to research some terms. There is a scene in Fueled where Colton is testing his race car and he’s throwing out jargon—I definitely had to research the terms but it wasn’t anything too detailed. I did have to research how the boys would react in certain situations in order to stay true to the trauma/experiences in their lives. Luckily I’ve had some readers who do this for a living and they’ve contacted me and helped out with terms or reactions to circumstances.

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

Kristy: No one. I know. It sounds odd but I don’t really have anyone here that I bounce anything off of. At home I have three small children and a husband. To them, this world doesn’t really exist other than me sitting with the computer glued to my fingertips. I’ll mumble something to my Mom every now and again but other than that, most people don’t even realize that I write. For instance when I published Driven, only three people even knew I wrote it before I hit publish if that tells you anything.

I will say that this time around I had beta readers—some bloggers and some other people that I met online through groups that had experience beta reading for other authors. That was a big help because I received some feedback on what worked or didn’t work for them while reading it…so in theory, I bounced some ideas off of them. I ended up making some revisions off of their comments, but other than that, no one really.

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

Kristy: That’s the best thing about a plot…it can change and adjust as you’re writing. I’ve left enough open threads in both Driven and Fueled that I can always move or adjust things in Crashed if I need to. Sometimes when you write, the plot evolves differently that I had never expected. Look, almost every story has been told out there a million times—as an author you have to try and make the same tried and true plotline and twist it enough to make it unique. It’s not always an easy thing to do.

TRC: How do you handle the pressures and anxiety of deadlines while still having time to raise a family?

Kristy: That’s a very good question. My husband says it’s like I have three jobs—my real job (day job as a bookkeeper), running the house and dealing with the kids, and then my writing. When I first started writing Driven, my husband was travelling constantly for work so once the kids went to bed and talked to him on the phone, I’d write. Since then, he’s switched positions so that he can be home more and now I find that balance very difficult. I try to write once everyone goes to bed, but sometimes that’s hard because my brain doesn’t function when I’m tired (and I’m not a coffee drinker). Luckily my two youngest will start preschool three days a week in the next month and so for the first time in almost eight years, I will have some days where the house is empty. After doing my work for my ‘real’ job, then I’ll try and use that alone time to crank out some pages without interruption.

TRC: If you could be a contestant on a reality television program, which program would you chose and why?

Kristy: Jeopardy. I have quirky knowledge and I retain things really well so I can answer a lot of the questions that make my husband go “How in the hell did you know that?”

TRC: What are your thoughts on book reviews-good or bad?

Kristy: It would be easy to say that I take both with a grain of salt, but I’d be lying. Of course good reviews make you feel validated in your writing and bad reviews eat at you and make you wonder what you could have done differently to make them like the story…but in reality, not everyone is going to like the same thing. There are going to be haters and there are going to be people that try and jump on the love train—so you really do have to take it with a grain of salt. I will say though that some of the toughest reviews I received from blogs made me a better writer when it came to Fueled. I didn’t dismiss their comments but rather looked at them objectively and tried to see how I could make the story better. Regardless, as an author you have to write for yourself first and foremost or else your story is not going to come from the heart.

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Kristy: I am currently working on Crashed. Once I finish that I have a stand alone that I’ve started called Strike Out that is more New Adult with a twist of explicit that I think will surprise some people.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Kristy: Just that I’d like to thank all of the readers for their astounding support when it comes to Driven and now Fueled. I’m floored on a daily basis that somewhere in the world someone is reading something I wrote and liking it enough they are telling a friend or posting a review on Amazon for it. It’s a very surreal feeling, so I want to make sure to thank them…and say I really hope they love Fueled and that I surpassed the expectations they set for it.

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food:
pizza

Favorite Dessert:
cheesecake

Favorite TV Show:
I’m so busy writing at night I don’t watch much TV anymore, but I’d have to say Grey’s Anatomy is one I try not to miss.

Last Movie You Saw:
Despicable Me 2 (can you tell I have young kids?)

Dark or Milk Chocolate:
dark

Favorite Flower:
dahlias

Last Vacation Destination:
camping at the beach

Pet Peeve:
pretention and chewing with your mouth open

Secret Celebrity Crush:
Can I tell you how hard this one is? I’m rather picky….My gosh….I’m going to step aside from the typical Channing Tatum, David Gandy’s because that’s everyone’s answer….I like Ben Affleck. There’s something hot about him – the mixture of good dad, intelligent, creative, not too pretty boy….that’s sexy to me.

TRC: Thank you Kristy for taking the time to answer our questions. Congratulations on the success of DRIVEN. We cannot wait to see where you take Colton and Rylee next.

Kristy: Thank you so much for taking the time to get to know me! I hope you enjoy Fueled!

 

Excerpt

He breaks from the kiss with a tortured groan and pulls away from me. “Colton,” I murmur, “let me take care of you.”

“Not here,” he tells me, smoothing my skirt down and smirking as he stuffs what’s left of my panties further down into his pocket. “I want to hear you scream out my name when I take you. I want to hear it when you fall apart from the things I’m going to do to you, Rylee. I want to claim you. Make you mine. Ruin you for any other man that dares to think of touching you.” He grimaces from the conviction of his words.

“You already have, Colton,” I breathe out without thinking, reaching out to place my fingertips to his lips. “I’m yours…” My voice trails off as he stares at me, his jaw working overtime as he absorbs the words I’ve said.

A ghost of a smile mixed with an uncertain disbelief plays on his lips before shaking it away and pushing it aside. “I—we can’t continue here with what I want to do, but this,” he says, motioning to me and the wall, “will tide me over.” He flashes a quick grin at me before grabbing my hand and climbing the last flight of stairs.

I follow him, knowing my heart and body are far from recovered from that little episode. Haddie’s words flash through my head, and I can’t help but disagree with her. When it comes to Colton, I don’t just have it bad. I’ve drowned, been consumed, and am utterly and undeniably his.

Series Spotlight

DRIVEN
Series: Driven #1
by K. Bromberg
Release Date: May 2013

Driven

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca

Rylee Thomas is used to being in control. But she’s about to meet the one man that just might make her enjoy losing it…

I am the exception to the rule.

In a world full of willing women, I’m a challenge to the roguish and achingly handsome Colton Donavan. A man used to getting exactly what he wants in all aspects of life. He’s the reckless bad boy constantly skating that razor thin edge toward out of control, on and off of the track.

Colton crashes into my life like a tornado: sapping my control, testing my vulnerabilities beyond their limits, and unintentionally penetrating the protective wall around my healing heart. Tearing apart the world I rebuilt so carefully with structure, predictability, and discipline

____________________________________________________

FUELED
Series: Driven #2
By K. Bromberg
Release Date: August 28, 2013

Fueled Cover

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn’t supposed to, and I sure as hell didn’t want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. She’s seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she’s still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?
He steals my breath, stops my heart, and brings me back to life again all in a split second of time. But how can I love a man who won’t let me in? Who continually pushes me away to prevent me from seeing the damaged secrets in his past? My heart has fallen, but patience and forgiveness can only go so far.

How can I desire a woman who unnerves me, defies me, and forces me to see that in the deep, black abyss of my soul there’s someone worthy of her love? A place and person I swore I’d never be again. Her selfless heart and sexy body deserve so much more than I’ll ever be capable of giving her. I know I can’t be what she needs, so why can’t I just let her go?

We are driven by need and fueled with desire, but is that enough for us to crash into love?

_________________________________________

Rafflecopter giveaway

Giveaway runs from 12 AM CDT (US), August 28th to 12 AM CDT (US), September 6th

Prizes – (1) $50 Amazon gift card, (4) $25 Amazon gift cards, 5 e-copies of Fueled, 2 signed paperback copies of Driven

NOTE: The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for the rafflecopter giveaway. If you have any questions, please contact the tour promoter.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Blog Tour Schedule

Click HERE for the complete FUELED tour schedule

BLOG TOUR ORGANIZED BY:  Sinfully Sexy on Tour Promotional Services

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Fueled (Driven #2) by K. Bromberg-a review

FUELED (Driven #2) by K. Bromberg-a review

Fueled Cover

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca / Amazon.uk/

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date August 27, 2013

What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn’t supposed to, and I sure as hell didn’t want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. She’s seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she’s still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?

•••••••••••••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: FUELED is the second storyline in K.Bromberg’s Driven series focusing on Rylee Thomas (a children’s service worker) and Colton Donavan (a billionaire race car driver) with some major demons in his past.

Fueled is not a storyline for the feint of heart. It is not an easy read as the storyline is graphic, gritty and leaves nothing to the imagination. K. Bromberg grabs the reader and pulls you in kicking and screaming. We experience the heartbreaking trauma and painful history of a young man whose demons runs very close to the surface threatening to emerge when the pain and sorrow begin to overwhelm. And it is these demons that control the man that Rylee loves.

At the end of Driven, Rylee and Colton were not in a very good place. As his past continues to haunt his days and his nights, Colton pushes away the one person who is willing to love and support the man hiding behind a Hollywood lifestyle and womanizing ways. But his refusal and inability to acknowledge Rylee’s acceptance fuels the drama and heartbreaking build up of betrayal and anguish.

Fueled is a story about falling in love and letting go. It is also a story about a relationship that is built on a foundation that is teetering over an abyss of unknown depths because at every turn something or someone is waiting to bring them down.

The storyline is also about a little boy who needed a ‘super hero’ of his own-someone to come in and save the child from the monsters threatening his very existence. But Colton’s superhero never emerged. Colton was and still is a little boy lost in a world of demons and monsters but one who has given up on the fairy tale of happily ever after and being rescued by the super hero at the end of the story.

“Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Ironman”

Fueled is a storyline ‘driven’ by the emotional and heartbreaking reality that there are monsters among us and many we know up close and personal. K. Bromberg has written a story that will forever be etched in your psyche and make you wonder if the little things in life are really worth the aggravation because at the end of the day there will always be the ‘real’ monsters waiting for you under the bed. And for a little boy, his super hero never comes.

“I race you, Ryles”

“I race you too, Colton”

“Spiderman, Batman, Superman, Ironman”

READING ORDER
1. Driven
2. Fueled
3. Crashed

Copy supplied by the author

Reviewed by Sandy.

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Fueled (Driven #2) by K. Bromberg-Cover Reveal and Excerpt

Fueled (Driven #2) by K. Bromberg-Cover Reveal

Fueled Cover

Title – Fueled (Book #2, The Driven Trilogy)
Author – K. Bromberg
Genre – Erotic Romance
Expected Release Date – August 27, 2013

ABOUT THE BOOK: What happens when the one person you never expected suddenly happens to be the one you’ll fight the hardest to keep?

Colton stole my heart. He wasn’t supposed to, and I sure as hell didn’t want him to, but he crashed into my life, ignited feelings within me that I thought had died forever, and fueled a passion that I never knew could exist.

Rylee fell out of that damn storage closet and into my life. Now I don’t think I’ll ever be the same. She’s seen glimpses of the darkness within me, and yet she’s still here. Still fighting for me. She is without a doubt the saint, and I am most definitely the sinner.

How is it the one thing neither of us wanted—neither of us anticipated that fateful night—has us fighting so hard to keep?

He steals my breath, stops my heart, and brings me back to life again all in a split second of time. But how can I love a man who won’t let me in? Who continually pushes me away to prevent me from seeing the damaged secrets in his past? My heart has fallen, but patience and forgiveness can only go so far.

How can I desire a woman who unnerves me, defies me, and forces me to see that in the deep, black abyss of my soul there’s someone worthy of her love? A place and person I swore I’d never be again. Her selfless heart and sexy body deserve so much more than I’ll ever be capable of giving her. I know I can’t be what she needs, so why can’t I just let her go?

We are driven by need and fueled with desire, but is that enough for us to crash into love?

excerpt

It is only then that Colton approaches me, backing me up against the kitchen counter, his hips pressing into me, and his mouth capturing mine in a mind-altering, head-dizzying, soul-emptying kiss. God, I missed the taste of him. The kiss ends much too soon, unable to get my fill after missing him for four days, and he wraps his arms around me in a tight hug that I know I could lose myself in if it wasn’t for our surroundings.

A hug teeming with a quiet desperation, he holds me to him, his face nuzzled in the side of my neck, and I can feel him breathe me in and draw strength from our connection.

“Hey,” I murmur softly as his hands press into my back. “You okay?”

“Yeah.” He breathes. “Now I am.”

His murmured confession rocks me. Hits those parts deep within in me, unjaded and still full of hope and possibility.

He finally releases me when he hears sounds in the hallway. I gaze up at his face and look beyond the handsome features that still make my breath catch in my throat every time I see him. I notice darkened smudges under his tired, wary eyes. He’s not sleeping. More nightmares? I don’t know and I don’t want to ask. He’ll tell me if he wants to. When he’s able to.

He angles his head in question to why I‘m just staring at him, trying to figure out what’s different about him when it hits me. He’s clean-shaven. I reach up and run my hand across his jaw, his face leaning into my touch. And it’s something about that little gesture mixed with his earlier confession that makes my heart swell.

“What’s this?” I ask, trying to prevent him from reading into the emotional transparency in my eyes by teasing him. “So smooth and clean shaven.”

“It doesn’t bode too well doing a razor commercial with a five o’clock shadow,” he smirks, running his palms up and down the sides of my torso. Licks of desire flicker low in my belly at his touch.

I laugh out loud. “Understandably. I like it though,” I tell him, running my fingers over it again when he frowns. “It’s okay, Ace, you still ooze bad boy without the stubble. Besides, I’ll get to sleep with someone different than this scruffy-jawed man I’ve been wasting my time on.”

He flashes me a quick smile. “Wasting your time, huh?” He takes a step toward me, lust clearly edging the humor out of his eyes.

Every part of my body tightens at the predatory way his body moves toward mine. My God. Take me, I want to tell him. Take every part of me that you already haven’t stolen, taken, or claimed.

“Oh, most definitely. He’s a rebel…” I scrunch my nose up “…and I definitely don’t do the bad boy type.”

“No?” He wets his lips with a quick dart of his tongue. “What type exactly, do you do?”

About the author

K Bromberg

Follow: Website/Facebook/Twitter /Goodreads

K. Bromberg is that reserved woman sitting in the corner that has you all fooled about the wild child inside of her—the one she lets out every time her fingertips touch the computer keyboard. She’s a wife, mom, child rustler, toy pick-er-upper, chauffer, resident web-slinger, LaLaloopsy watching, American Girl doll dressing multi-tasker of all things domestic and otherwise. She likes her diet cokes with rum, her music loud, and her pantry stocked with a cache of chocolate.

K. lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. When she needs a break from the daily chaos of her life, you can most likely find her on the treadmill or with Kindle in hand, devouring the pages of a good, saucy book.

Fueled is K. Bromberg’s second published novel and is the highly anticipated second book of “The Driven Trilogy.” Driven was her well-received debut novel and Book #1 of the series.

Driven series

Click HERE for our review of DRIVEN (Driven #1) by K. Bromberg

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A.C.E. Contest with K.Bromberg-A Contest Extraordinaire

A.C.E. Contest with K.Bromberg-A Contest Extraordinaire

ACE contest 2

K.Bromberg is promoting a contest to help launch book 2 in her Driven series-FUELED.

••••••••••••••••••

checkered flag

Colton here !!

 

Do you want to be in my mouth? Oh wait, let me rephrase that slip of the tongue…*winks with a wicked grin* Do you want your words to come out of my mouth?

Well, K.’s been teasing you with little comments here and there about a contest she’s going to have…so, I figured I’d put the rubber to the track and get this thing in kicked in gear.

Scarred and Scared copy

You see, it all started when I b*tched at K. for not telling me what A.C.E. stands for. What kind of sh*t is that? She told me that if Rylee’s my girl, I should be able to figure out the answer. What is it about you women all having each others’ backs, huh?…Here’s the thing, on the track, I don’t need any help—I’m just that good—but when it comes to figuring out Rylee? Hell, I need all the help I can get in understanding what’s in her head. You guys got to hear everything Ry thought in Driven—I didn’t—so maybe you can throw me a bone here. Help me out a bit. You game?

 

••••••••••••••••••

Starting now, K.’s and Colton Donavan (K’s leading hero in her Driven series) are running a contest…. A Contest Extraordinaire. If you have a guess for the meaning of Ace (A.C.E.) that you want Colton to ask Rylee in FUELED (Book #2 of the Driven Trilogy), type it up and send it to Colton’s email address:

ColtonDonavan@gmail.com

K. and Colton will go through the entries and pick the best one – and if there’s a lot of great ones, K. just might have to draw them at random and use a couple of them. How’s that sound?

HINT: Ace is Rylee’s nickname for Colton Donavan.

The prize you ask?

1. Your guess will come out of Colton’s mouth and be part of a published novel, FUELED out on August 27th
2. You will get a signed paperback copy of Driven
3. You will get an e-copy of Fueled

The contest will run from July 2 to July 19, 2013

Email your entries to :  ColtonDonavan@gmail.com

NOTE:  The Reading Cafe is NOT responsible for this contest.  If you have any questions, please contact the author.

 

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Driven (Driven Trilogy #1) by K. Bromberg-a review

Driven (Driven Trilogy #1) by K. Bromberg-a review

Driven

Amazon.com / Amazon.ca /

ABOUT THE BOOK: Release Date May 2013

Rylee Thomas is used to being in control. But she’s about to meet the one man that just might make her enjoy losing it…

I am the exception to the rule.

In a world full of willing women, I’m a challenge to the roguish and achingly handsome Colton Donavan. A man used to getting exactly what he wants in all aspects of life. He’s the reckless bad boy constantly skating that razor thin edge toward out of control, on and off of the track.

Colton crashes into my life like a tornado: sapping my control, testing my vulnerabilities beyond their limits, and unintentionally penetrating the protective wall around my healing heart. Tearing apart the world I rebuilt so carefully with structure, predictability, and discipline

••••••••••••••••

REVIEW: DRIVEN is the first storyline in K. Bromberg’s erotic contemporary, romance trilogy Driven. The first story (and thusly the trilogy) is once again very similar (in premise and back story) to FSOG and the Crossfire series. Driven has a sexy, uber-rich leading hero named Colton Donavan, with a dark and tormented past. He was adopted at eight years old and by the time he reached his teens he was acting out and getting into trouble. Hoping to curb their son’s need for speed, Colton’s parents tried to scare the young man at the local race track: he would soon find himself following the race car circuit and ten years later would become one of racing’s ultimate stars and richest bachelors. But Colton’s early years have left him scarred and angry so much so that any relationship with a woman is short, sweet and ruled by sex. He promises nothing but a good time-no permanence and in no way resembling a relationship with a HEA.

Rylee Thomas works for children’s services in Corporate Cares-an organization that looks after orphaned and in-trouble children. During a fundraising event, Rylee will meet Colton Donavan and their lives will become intertwined from the start. But Rylee refuses to be any man’s one night stand or another notch on the bed post. Playing hard to get and refusing Colton’s advances, Rylee will soon find herself falling for the dark and tormented hero but his secrets and his demons will continue to haunt him throughout their time together. It is only when the nightmares from the past push Colton over the edge, does Rylee realize there is more to the man than a womanizer who likes fast cars and faster women. But Rylee has a few secrets of her own that threaten to overwhelm her on many occasions.

With the popularity of FSOG and the Crossfire series is it any wonder that the latest release of erotic contemporary romance trilogies follow a similar pattern and outline. The similarities are many and undeniable and yet, DRIVEN is a fascinating storyline with a cliffhanger that will break your heart as well as draw your ire. Like the other successful series that came before, the hero is tortured, dark and hiding behind a beautiful mask. He is rich, powerful and has a reputation with the ladies. On the other hand, Rylee is the perfect mate and lover-altruistic with her need to save a group of orphaned young boys and yet, still in need of her own hero and protector. But it will be Rylee who will be the ultimate protector when the man with whom she is falling in love will finally see that there is only one woman who can save his soul and cast aside the demons that control his everyday life.

DRIVEN is an interesting storyline of love and loss, betrayal and heartache, pain and sorrow. As well as the physical scars there will emotional wounds that will take a little longer to heal. If you are looking for a story that has some humor, some tears, plenty of hot and steamy sex, as well as a tortured hero who doesn’t realize that the woman he pushes away is the one person who can save his soul-then Driven is the story for you. Book 2-FUELED to be release August 27, 2013.

Reviewed by Sandy

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Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

 

Lisa Nowak-Interview with the Author

The Reading Cafe would like to introduce YA Indie author Lisa Nowak.

 

 

You can find Lisa at the following:

LINKS:
Twitter
Facebook
Website
Amazon Kindle edition
B&N Nook edition

TRC: Hi Lisa and welcome to The Reading Café. Would you please tell us something about yourself?

Lisa: I’m a YA author who writes coming-of-age books about kids in hard luck situations who learn to appreciate their own value after finding mentors who love them for who they are. I’m a retired amateur stock car racer, an accomplished cat whisperer, and a professional smartass.

TRC: You have posted (on your website) quite a bit of personal information about yourself and your love of racecars. How did your love of cars evolve?

Lisa: When I bought my first car (a ’72 Gremlin) my sense of independence led me to want to know how to work on it myself. Once I started learning the basics, I fell in love with cars and driving.

TRC: You are part of the INDELIBLES indie publishing website. How has your experience with the indie publishing affected your love of writing?

Lisa: Going indie empowered me as an author. When I was pursuing the traditional route, I was always scared, always waiting for someone else to tell me I was good enough. I’d put my dreams and goals into the hands of other people, so I had no control over them. Now I’m in charge of my own destiny and make my own decisions about every aspect of my publishing career. I love it.

TRC: What have been the challenges you have faced as an indie author?

Lisa: Mostly finding time to do everything I want and need to do. Marketing is the biggest issue. Like most indies, I have plenty of ideas about how to promote my book, but not enough time to implement them.

TRC: RUNNING WIDE OPEN, GETTING SIDEWAYS and now DRIVEN are all books you have released that focus on Cody Everett and the people in his life. Would you please tell us about the inspiration behind the series?

Lisa: My experience racing at Eugene Speedway introduced me to the stock car racing community, a group of loyal, passionate, family-oriented people, and I wanted to show the world what they were all about.

TRC: The references to the car makes and models, as well the movies and television shows of the late 80s and early 90s is very nostalgic, but can be somewhat confusing to those who have never experienced the history. Why have you focused the series timelines in 1989-1990?

Lisa: Three reasons. The first is that the landscape of Eugene, Oregon, the setting of the book, has changed quite a bit since I was racing there. The track doesn’t even exist anymore. I wanted to preserve a snapshot of that time and place. The second is that driving laws for teens are much more restrictive now than they were in 1990, and driving is a big part of my books. The third is that today’s technology, with cell phones and the internet, has open up all kinds of possibilities that teens didn’t have in the past. I wrote the original drafts of both Running Wide Open and Driven in the early ’90s, and rather than change the story to include all that new technology, I decided to keep it set in that time. Because these books work as crossover novels, and much of my audience is adult stock car racing fans, I haven’t found it to be an issue for most of them.
TRC: Would you please tell us about the premise behind your new release DRIVEN?(see our review below)

Lisa: Sixteen-year-old Jess wants to be a mechanic, but no one will take her seriously because she’s a girl. She’s never even considered having a boyfriend because she thinks no guy would look twice at her. When she lucks into the opportunity to work on a race car, she’s befriended by a boy who doesn’t mind the grease under her fingernails and drawn into the family-oriented speedway community. These new friendships make it increasingly difficult for her to keep her mom’s alcoholism and neglect a secret—something she must do at all costs to avoid getting stuck in a foster home.

TRC: The storyline POV (Point of view) in DRIVEN is now the female lead Jess Deland. Is there a reason you are now focusing on this particular point of view? Will the next installment in the series continue to focus on Jess?

Lisa: I never intended the whole series to be about Cody, and in fact, I liked the idea of showing him from an outside point of view. As a woman who loves cars, I wanted to write about a young girl who shares that trait. The next book Redline, continues with Jess as the protagonist. The last book in the series, tentatively titled Never Surrender, alternates between Jess’ and Cody’s viewpoints.

TRC: Would you please tell us something about the next book in the series? Do you have a working title or premise?
Lisa: Redline is already written and off with my editor. I expect to release it around Thanksgiving. It’s hard to say too much about it without giving spoilers for Driven, but it takes up where Driven leaves off, following Jess as she attempts to enjoy life as a normal teenager for the first time. And then her past catches up with her, leading to a devastating event.

TRC: Are the characters or experiences based on anyone you know or the events in your life?

Lisa: Not so much. A few of the minor characters share traits with people I used to race with, but the main characters are all straight out of my imagination. That said, there’s a little bit of myself in all of them. Like Jess, I’m stubborn and driven, and like Cody, my emotional nature makes life more difficult than I’d like it to be. I also poke fun at my own quirks, such as my extreme Christmas spirit and my habit of listening to the same CD over and over again in the car because I’m too lazy to change it.

TRC: You offer classes and guidelines (about writing) to new authors. What would you consider the most important thing to remember when writing a book or series?

Lisa: These days, most of my writing advice is geared toward indie publishing, rather than actual craft, but if I had to come up with a single piece of advice for new authors, it would be what one of my racing mentors once told me: you just gotta keep on keepin’ on.

TRC: Many authors bounce ideas and information between friends, family and each other. With whom do you bounce your ideas?

Lisa: My husband, my critique group partners, my writing friends, sometimes even my landscaping customers (landscaping is my day job).

TRC: On what are you currently working?

Lisa: Now that Driven is out, I’m taking a little break to promote it and keep my landscaping customers happy. Later in summer, when my business slows down, I’ll either tackle revisions to Redline or I’ll make some changes to another book I’m working on, Dead Heat, and run it by my editor. Dead Heat is shorter and has a paranormal aspect, plus I have a unique marketing opportunity for it, so I’m considering publishing it next. It’s a gritty story about this kid, Alex, who’s a machine whisperer (he can figure out what’s wrong with any broken machine just by touching it). His meth addict dad beats him and exploits his ability. When his mentor, Cole, dies he gets a glimpse of just how bad things are for Alex, and what his future holds, so he hangs around as a ghost, risking his own chance at eternal peace to protect him.

TRC: Would you like to add anything else?

Lisa: Perhaps an animated gif of a dancing hamster.

 

TRC: *snort*..I bet you didn’t think we would post the pic of the animated hamster 🙂

 

 

LIGHTNING ROUND

Favorite Food
I hate having to choose only one. It makes all the other foods feel bad. But probably Mexican or pizza.

Favorite Dessert
Anything with chocolate

Favorite TV Show
Seriously? Just one again? Can I cheat? Leverage, House, Grey’s Anatomy

Favorite Movie
What if I throw you for a loop and say something obscure like Regarding Henry or Stand by Me?

Last Movie you Saw
Bridesmaids

Dark or Milk Chocolate
Dark

Favorite Song
Ugh. My brain just doesn’t work this way. It depends what mood I’m in. How about if I just tell you the song that was one of the inspirations for Driven? Car Crazy Cutie by the Beach Boys.

Thank you Lisa for taking the time to answer our questions. The Reading Café wishes you all the best with your writing career.

 

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DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

DRIVEN (YA) by Lisa Nowak

DRIVEN (Full Throttle series)  is the third book and May 2012 new release from Lisa Nowak’s Young Adult series. DRIVEN focuses on Jess Deland, a shy 16 year girl trying to keep up appearances in a world full of betrayal and shame. Knowing your mother is a drunk and thinking your father never wanted you forces Jess to put all of her time and effort into her studies and re-building cars. But when she meets Teri-Sue Cline and Cody Everett at the local speedway, she doesn’t know how her life is about to change.

Jess knows how to keep secrets. For years her mother’s drinking has forced the young girl into being the parent. But when Teri-Sue Cline, a beautiful, young amateur racecar driver offers Jess a position with her pit-crew, she jumps at the opportunity to earn more money-and the fact that she will be working on racecars makes it the best job (ever).

Cody Everett is a fellow amateur racecar driver. But living in the shadow of the infamous racecar driver and uncle-Horatio “Race” Everett, places Cody in the unenviable position to try and prove worthy. Cody’s love and worry for his uncle is well placed, following the previous year’s harrowing accident that almost killed the man. But when he sideswipes Teri-Sue’s car on the track, he finds himself the target of a very emotional and pretty 16 year old mechanic. And now his prime motivation will be to meet and get to know-Jess Deland.

Jess is determined to keep her distance. Hoping no one will discover her family secrets, Jess has few friends and is determined to push Cody away. Teri-Sue’s family has welcomed Jess with open arms, and she is reluctant to accept any favors or gifts. And Teri-Sues younger brother Rhett tugs at Jess’s heart. An easy-going young boy of 10, Rhett’s desire is to have contact with his absentee mother. But a horrific accident has placed the Cline’s family at odds with each other, and Jess seems to be the only person who is able to break through Rhett’s façade. And Jess soon learns that appearances are not always what they seem. She is not the only person to keep secrets buried. Cody’s demons ride him hard and it will be a 16 year old girl who will help tame and wipe away the tears of a young man.

Life for Jess is about to change. As her relationship with Cody grows, the relationship with her mother pushes further apart. But finding herself alone and homeless will force Jess to test the limits of her abilities. Keeping secrets and fearing the authorities will take her from the people that she has grown to love, Jess begins to risk her health and her happiness in an effort to keep the others from discovering the truth. But it will be the love of her new family that will help discover the real-truth about her past.

DRIVEN is a fictional young adult storyline. Written in first person POV from the heroine’s perspective, the reader is taken on a journey of discovery into first love and the feeling of betrayal by a parent. The character of Jess was, at first, a little difficult to like with her misplaced anger at Cody Everett, but looking beyond the obvious, Jess is a wounded child hiding a multitude of pain and shame. Anger is an emotion she knows only too well. Driven is a sweet story about accepting who you are and asking for help when the going gets tough.

To Order:
AMAZON Kindle LINK: Driven
B&N NOOK LINK: Driven

READING ORDER
1. Running Wide Open
2. Getting Sideways
3. Driven

reviewed by Sandy

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