Release Day Review & Author Interview : Temporary by Sarina Bowen and Sarah Mayberry

The most beautiful man I've ever seen is the same one who can ruin everything.

The first time I lay eyes on Callan Walker, I know he’ll be trouble. With his smug grin, hot Aussie accent and thousand dollar shoes, he’s just the kind of rich guy who always gets what he wants.

And he wants two things: a night of sin, and my cooperation as he outmaneuvers his powerful mother to take control of his uncle’s estate.

I can’t afford either one. I’m the only thing standing between my little sister and the foster care system. He may have money and charm on his side, but I have something even more powerful -- pure desperation. This temp job at his mother’s company can become a full time job for me. It has to.

But when Callan’s eyes rake over my body, sometimes I forget my obligations. His piercing gaze finds the fun, optimistic girl I used to be and not the tired person I’ve become.

And it works--if only for a moment. Our night together was a mistake. I can't afford to get sucked into his high-powered family’s treachery. But the closer I get to Callan, the more layers I find beneath those expensive clothes. Though I can’t forget this is temporary. He’s temporary. I have too much to lose.

Too bad my foolish heart didn’t get the memo...

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Interview with Sarina & Sarah

I was so very excited to see another collaboration come across my review pile and I was lucky to be able to ask Sarina and Sarah a few questions regarding their latest release, Temporary, out today!

Sarah, you are a new author for me, and I see from your bio that you write for television too. Do you find that you approach television writing differently than romance novels? How would you compare writing for tv with novel writing?

Sarah: Well, TV writing is very collaborative, so in that respect I think it prepared me well for working with another writer. Scripts are all about dialogue and action, though - it’s up to the actor to convey what’s going on inside the character’s head, whereas books are about what goes on inside people as well as all the other stuff. As far as approaching things differently...the slate is much broader with my own work because I am not constrained by a G-rating or supplied storylines and well established characters. But there’s something awesome about seeing your script on screen once it goes into production. I love that I get to do both and feel very lucky.

I'm a huge fan of collaborative writing and I can't wait to jump into Temporary. How does an author from Vermont hook up with an author from Australia?

Sarah: We were email buddies before the author from Vermont had a genius idea and contacted the author from Australia and blew her mind by asking if she’d be interested in writing a book together. The author from Australia then proceeded to squeal and run around the house with excitement, before calming down enough to send a one word response: YES.

Sarina: And then the dork in Vermont drew a Venn Diagram of their overlapping skill sets for prep purposes. (I’m sure I still have that somewhere.) Collaborating is hard work and you have to go about it analytically. But I may have overshot.

Sarah: I freaking LOVED that Venn diagram. I felt in very safe hands!

(As a book nerd and math geek, thumbs up to the Venn diagram!)

Can you both talk a bit about your writing process for Temporary?

Sarah: Sarina was very much the old hand with collaboration, so I just followed her lead and asked lots of dumb questions. We started by spitballing settings, characters, and conflicts in Google Docs, then we worked on an outline incorporating all our ideas. Then we jumped in and started writing, passing the baton at the end of each working day.

Sarina: I thought I was a thorough plotter before I met Sarah. Turns out I’m not. But her penchant for thorough preparation made everything go super smoothly! I loved it.

The cover for Temporary is smokin hot! How much input were you able to give for the cover?

Sarah: ALL the input. We trawled through tons of shots of sexy couples until we found one that captured the dynamic of Callan and Grace. Then we worked with the cover artist Hang Le to get the setting right.

Sarina: So. Many. Photos. We looked at a million. I wish that part were easier but it’s just not.

Do you have any plans for future collaborations?

There’s a character in Temporary who really needs her own book… You’ll see!

 Thanks Sarah and Sarina! Best of luck to you on release day!

 Now on to my review...

 

What I thought about Temporary

Temporary is a slow burn romance between Grace, a financially-challenged temp worker who is also rearing her younger sister and rich playboy Callan. Grace has been given an opportunity to do a special assignment for her current employer and thinking it might lead her to a permanent position, she accepts the job to document the contents of her boss's deceased brother.

She's greeted by Callan, her boss's son, who has been estranged from the family for some time. Believe me, you'll understand right away why that estrangement occurred because Boss Vicky is really a handful.

At first glance, it would seem that Callan is just a thoughtless playboy, but his love for his deceased uncle lets you know that he's got a heart.

I really liked this story. It has a setup that I haven't seen before and I was pulled into the story right away. It was easy to see how Callan would be attracted to Grace, especially as she lovingly takes care of his uncle's belongings. It was only a matter of time for the heat to ignite between these two.

As expected, I didn't want to put it down until I reached "the end". There's some drama as one might expect from a romance, but it's not too much. I loved everything about this, especially the Australian angle.

Oh, and one more thing...as a book nerd, I adored the way this e-book was formatted from cover to cover. The cover is scorchin hot and the chapter ornaments at the start of each chapter made the reading experience feel just a little more special.

Recommended.

An ARC was provided for review.

About the Authors

Sarina Bowen is a USA Today bestselling author of contemporary romance. She lives in Vermont's Green Mountains with her family, six chickens and too much ski gear and hockey equipment.

In 2016, Sarina became a Rita Award winner! The Romance Writers of America honored HIM by Sarina Bowen & Elle Kennedy with Best Contemporary Romance, Mid-Length.

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Sarah Mayberry is an Australian romance author. She grew up in Melbourne, Australia where she discovered romance novels through her grandmothers. After high school she earned a Bachellor of Arts degree in Professional Writing. Her first job was in journalism writing about hardware. From journalism she moved into corporate communications for a major retailer. launching a new consumer magazine for them. She finally ended up working in television on Australia's seriel drama Neighbours. This job taught her about character, story, structure and story telling. She went back to writing and became successful within a year and a half. Sarah also co-created a teen-drama series called Karoke high. She was nominated for a 2015 RITA Award in the category of Contempory Romance Mid-Length for her title Her Kind of Trouble. Her novel Anticipation won the 2015 Australian Romance Readers Awards for Favourite Erotic Romance.

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Giveaway & Author Interview - Vanquish by Pam Godwin

Warning: Graphic sex and violence. Age 18+ only

It is recommended to read after Deliver, but it can be read as a stand-alone.

Her life is like a prison cell.

A self-made, to-hell-with-the-free-world existence that locks from the inside.

Stop judging. Her agoraphobia doesn’t define her. It simply keeps her safe.

He belongs in a prison cell.

The 6x8, make-me-your-bitch variety that locks from the outside.

But he’s free. To hunt. To take. To break.

And he just found a sexy new toy.

Capturing her is the easy part. Her fucked-up mind, however, makes him question everything he does next.

But he’s a determined bastard. If all goes his way, this will hurt like hell.

 

Buy Links 

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Excerpt 

“Are you going to cut me up in little pieces?”

A cold smile tipped his lips as he chuckled. Then his expression sobered. “Walk to the kitchen.”

Fucking psychopath. He stood right in the doorway, taking up the whole damned hall. At over six feet tall with a muscled body cut from stone, he could squash her without breaking a sweat. She didn't want to go near him. He was terrifying. But being forced outside was worse. She straightened her back and headed toward him.

As she slid by, his arm caught her waist and yanked her back against his chest. She slapped at his hand, bucking against him, and his arm clenched tighter. His erection jabbed against her backside, his breath hot at her ear. “Fighting and squirming only turns me on. Don't stop.”

She immediately stilled. God, he wasn't lying. His dick was undeniably more pronounced against her back. Feeling him like that, so close, so huge and hard, rushed heat between her legs and prickles over her skin. Why, oh why was she responding this way? She hated and wanted it, and mother of all fucks, she couldn't have been more completely and totally out of her mind.

She drew a ragged breath. Think, think, think. But his intention blatantly rubbed against her, scattering her thoughts. “You're going to rape me, aren't you?”

His torso moved up and down with his breath. “I thought you wanted to be fuck buddies. Don't make it weird.”

 Read my 5 star review here.

Interview with Pam

I had the good fortune to be able to ask Pam a few questions and here they are!

I thought your portrayal of agoraphobia was right on the money in Vanquish. Can you tell us about the research you did and how you approached writing these scenes to make them so realistic?

I sat down with a psychiatrist for a few hours and laid out the scenario. What happens if an agoraphobic is kidnapped by a rapist? What if he knocks her out amidst a panic attack? What if he forces her, kicking and screaming, outside repeatedly? While my plot had the good doctor’s eyebrows hovering somewhere near his hairline, he offered some great advice (for both Amber’s and Van’s mental conditions) on how they would work—and not work—together.

When we meet Van in Deliver, we don’t really see his vulnerability like we do in Vanquish. Did you plan to tell Van’s story from the start?

***Spoiler Alert: For those who have not read Deliver and plan to, skip this answer*** When I killed off Van in Deliver, he was supposed to stay dead. But for days after I wrote that scene, it sat like a rock in my gut. Van had a story, and I couldn’t let it die with him. I couldn’t let him go. So, as I finished the ending of Deliver, I outlined Vanquish, Van’s book.

What’s your favorite part of the writing process? What part is challenging? Are you a pantser or a plotter?
I’m a plotter, so I know how everything plays out before I write the first word. Still, starting out a new book is painful because I don’t know the characters yet. I’m still learning their voices...they’re just so unfamiliar. By halfway through, however, I know them so well they tumble over the pages with ease. Which makes writing the last half of a book my favorite part of the process.

Can you tell us about what you’re working on now?Another romantic suspense, but a bit different from anything I’ve written to date. The hero is a criminal motorcycle racer. The heroine is a corporate billionaire. Lots of secrets, sex, scandals, and political corruption. The title and cover reveal is coming soon!


Giveaway

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Author bio

New York Times and USA Today Bestselling author, Pam Godwin, lives in the Midwest with her husband, their two children, and a foulmouthed parrot. When she ran away, she traveled fourteen countries across five continents, attended three universities, and married the vocalist of her favorite rock band.

Java, tobacco, and dark romance novels are her favorite indulgences, and might be considered more unhealthy than her aversion to sleeping, eating meat, and dolls with blinking eyes.

Author Links 

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