Book Tour: Seducing Avery by Barbara Han Review & Interview & Giveawy

SEDUCING AVERY

By

Barbara Han

BLURB:  

Avery McAdams believes in order to truly be herself she needs to keep her head down, her guard up and her focus on her career. Until she’s hired by sexy, charismatic Ryker Li to pull off the event of the century, and he shows up personally to convince her to handle his next party. When she meets him face-to-face, she realizes a piece of her wants him to see her as attractive, which goes against everything she’s convinced herself she believes.

Rich, powerful Ryker has made an art form of getting what he wants, when he wants it, and then moving on. But something about Avery makes him want to stick around.

When he finds everything he never dreamed to look for in a woman, can the billionaire playboy commit to the biggest deal of all? Or will a lifetime of mistrust and suspicion turn them forever into rivals?

EXCERPT:    

"When you despise something, you'd be surprised at what you're willing to do to avoid it." She picked up the blanket, noticing how the air in the room had gone thin. Avery couldn't swallow. Her throat dried up and her stomach quivered. Being near this man made her pulse thump at the base of her throat. Because when his gaze landed hard on hers, it spoke pure sex.

Thick, sooty lashes framed the most intoxicating shade of exotic brown eyes. His high cheekbones framed hard planes on his face, anchoring perfectly full, perfectly formed lips.

Looking at those lips almost made her forget he thought himself too important to attend the charity event he lent his name to. She quirked an eyebrow at him, curious as to why he really stood here in her office? After all, he'd been too busy or too good to show last night. Then again, why would a man like him waste an evening on orphans when he could have any supermodel he wanted at his side, and in his bed?

Coffee. She needed caffeine. She gripped the Styrofoam cup and took a sip.

His thick lips curled. "What is it now?"

REVIEW:

I really enjoyed this story. Loved the hate love (i said hate first because they hated each other first) relationship between the two main characters. The characters were great and likable. You are able to feel for the characters and connect with them. Some parts i felt were a bit rushed but it was all very interesting. It kept you reading and guessing the ending. 

I had a hard time at first telling which point of view it was when it would switch between them. 

It's a great love story that has some spice to it!

4.3/5 Stars.

INTERVIEW:

1. Where did you get the idea for the novel? First of all, thanks so much for having me here at Books and Other Spells. I fell in love with billionaire stories the first time someone told me to read Abby Green, Kim Lawrence, and Sarah Morgan. I was hooked. I wanted to write similar stories, but I needed to find a way to make them mine. I didn’t see anyone writing Asian billionaire stories and since my husband is a six-foot tall Asian (who played high school football and would want me to tell you he started both ways), I thought I could be authentic. Besides, I think most people identify Asians as being self-disciplined, intense, and focused...I can’t think of better traits to play around with in a billionaire context. Ryker is that and so much more.  

2. Your title. Who came up with it? Did you ever change your title? The title for Seducing Avery came from me. I bounced a lot of ideas around before finding ‘the one’. I knew as soon as I heard it, but it was a process of trial and error, and changed at least a dozen times.

3. Which came first, the title or the novel? The novel.

4. Since becoming a writer, what’s the most exciting thing to ever happen to you? Hands down, signing my first contract was the most squee-worthy career moment so far. Coming in a close second would have to be signing my second contract, which felt just as amazing. There have been so many other exciting moments...my first finished manuscript...my first cover...my first galleys...and the anticipation of my debut book finally being available for release.  

5. What book are you currently reading or what was the last book you read? My TBR pile is seriously out of control right now. I’m such an eclectic reader. I’ll give you my next three reads. Up first, is Harlan Coben’s Caught, followed by Lorrainne Heath’s Waking Up With The Duke, and Robyn Carr’s Redwood Bend. How’s that for mixing it up?   

6. What was your first book that you ever wrote (very first one you wrote, not published)? Ohmygosh. We have to go back quite a few years for this one. The first book I ever wrote was called, A House With No Room. It had a beginning, middle, and end. Writing that story was a huge learning curve, not the least of which was the lesson I didn’t want to write coming-of-age Young Adult.    

7. What is your writing process? Once I get enough of a basic storyline rolling around in my head, I figure out what my characters want most and why they can’t have it. Then, I use the butt in chair method. It’s simple. I put my butt in chair and write. There are no short cuts and I don’t rely on the muse. I have to put in the hours at the keyboard to get a workable first draft. My mantra during this phase is: First drafts always suck. The story comes alive in revisions. I’ll go through three or four rounds before I send a story through to my critique partner chapter by chapter. Then, I set it aside for a few days or weeks, depending on what else I have on my plate. It’ll get at least one more round of revisions before it heads out the door either to my agent or directly to my editor. I write every day, seven days a week.

8. Who are your favorite authors of all time? Oh, this is such a tough question for me. I have so many favorites. How about I talk about some of my favorite 2012 debut authors? First of all, Jerrie Alexander’s Green-eyed Doll will have you watching your back every time you go to the ATM. She writes a bad guy like you can’t believe. Or worse, you can...and you’ll be looking over your shoulder for the rest of the year when you do. For a change of pace, Molly Cannon’s Ain’t Misbehavin’ is sweet, sassy, and most of all charming. Sticking with the light theme, I’d also have to go with Sasha Summer’s Hollywood Every After. Let’s just say the hero, Josh, might just be turning up in a few of my dreams (shh, don’t tell my husband). 

9. At a book signing, do you just sign your name or do you write a note? How do you come up with stuff to say? I haven’t had the opportunity to sign yet. If anyone is or will be near the Dallas/Fort Worth area March 29th, I’d love to see you at my first. There’ll be many other writers there, too. (Did I mention Cherie Adair?). The event runs from 7 - 9 p.m. and is Free. Check out their Web site for more details:  http://www.dallasromanceauthors.com/conferences/.

10. What is something people would be surprised to know about you? People would be surprised to know I have a cartoon crush on Spongebob Squarepants. Who doesn’t love a man who wears square pants? Not to mention, he’s the color of sunshine.
11. How do you react to a bad review? In my former life as a journalist, I could take criticism in stride. I think you have to remind yourself you’re not going to please everyone with your work. Your writing/voice/stories aren’t going to speak to every person. And that’s okay. See if you can glean anything constructive from it, pull up your boot straps, and move on. Keep your ultimate career goals in mind and work on craft every day. Write the best book you can every time. Oh, and chocolate. Eat lots of chocolate. That helps with everything.  

12. How did you celebrate the sale of your first book? I celebrated my first sale with champagne and, you might’ve already guessed, chocolate. The champagne felt especially fitting since I sold to the Champagne line at The Wild Rose Press. I got the e-mail at 10 o’clock on a Monday morning. I love to cook, so I did the works that night:  Ribeyes, baked potatoes, and salad with homemade vinaigrette. There were a lot of toasts and hugs from my family (the best part). The next morning, I got up early and put my butt back in the chair to work. My mom came over on the weekend and brought a much more expensive bottle of champagne and we enjoyed another round of celebration.          

AUTHOR INFORMATION:

Barb Han lives in North Texas with her husband, has three beautiful children, a spunky Golden Retriever/Standard Poodle mix, and too many books to count.

When she’s not writing, researching, or otherwise getting lost in a story, she volunteers at her children’s school, is in the kitchen ‘creating’ dinner, or can be found on or around a basketball court.

Writing contemporary romance and romantic suspense has been a dream come true for Barb—something she’s wanted to do for as long as she can remember. She left her corporate job, at her husband’s urging, and has been happily playing with her imaginary friends ever since.

In her down time, she plays video games and loves reading with her children. She also enjoys traveling with her family. Many of the places she visits end up in her books.

LINKS: 

http://www.barbhan.com

 I'm on Facebook:    https://www.facebook.com/BarbHan

Twitter @BarbHanAuthor

Goodreads

GIVEAWAY:

Barb will be awarding a $10 BN.com or Amazon GC to a randomly drawn commenter during the tour. 

The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here:  http://goddessfishpromotions.blogspot.com/2012/09/virtual-book-tour-seducing-avery-by.html