Monday, February 9, 2015

Intensity by C. C. Koen Creating Characters & Giveaway


BLURB:
What would you do to improve your life?

Twenty-one-year-old Serena Thomas is faced with a tough decision. Unable to get ahead of debt and loneliness since her grandmother’s death she finds a new job, placing the sheltered virgin in an underground escort business. She tells herself it’s just a temporary life choice, but destiny has a different plan. She meets a mysterious and gorgeous man, who happens to be her new boss. Will Serena fit in or will she be left all alone again?

Lincoln (aka: Linc) Jefferson has an unusual life. He established The Lounge, an exclusive escort club for very personal reasons. A place where the women say who, when, and what type of sex they’re willing to have. The escorts possess all the power and the money. It’s a business Linc guards at all costs. Trying to maintain the secrecy is a constant challenge and one that’s tested when he enters into a relationship with Serena. She tempts him unlike any woman, even though he’s surrounded by beauty on a daily basis. The more time they spend together the harder it is for him to keep his secrets. Will Serena stand by his side or will she abandon him?

Sparks and passion fly, taking these two on a journey neither could have expected.

Creating Characters:
I’m a name junkie. I’ve always been interested in them since I was a little girl. I ask parents all the time how they chose their child’s names, which usually reveals some very interesting stories. Therefore, naming INTENSITY characters was very important to me. The more I wrote the easier it became to choose them. The male lead, Lincoln Jefferson had to be a strong name. I automatically thought presidents’ names would be a good choice. The female lead, Serena Thomas came easily too. I wanted a unique name for her, one that flowed smoothly and had a nice ring to it.
This is what I found out about my characters’ names as I prepared for this novel.
·      Serena
o   Meaning: serene, calm
o   Origin: Latin
My heroine’s name and the meaning plays a crucial part in character development for both the H/h, the ending of the story, and the sequel.
·      Lincoln
o   Meaning: village
o   Origin: Old English
I wanted a powerful name for my male lead. I didn’t check the meaning until after I had committed to it. The decision seemed ironic because of the business my hero owns and the number of people he employs.
Surnames
·      Thomas
o   Meaning: twin
o   Origin: English, German, Wales
The origin helped me pinpoint a particular heritage I wanted to focus on for my heroine.
·      Jefferson
o   Meaning: From an Old English surname meaning “son of Jeffry.”
o   Origin: English, Wales
I wanted the hero’s surname to be just as powerful as the first. Both choices seemed perfect since they had presidential distinctions. What could be more powerful than that?
Check out my website to learn more about Intensity and the characters: www.cckoen.com


EXCERPT:
He yanked me up from my seat and launched his lips on mine so fast the contact zapped me with a thousand volts. His strokes, bold at first, lightened to soft, tender kisses almost as if he was asking permission to enter—to taste.

The heat from his hands, holding my upper arms, seared me.

My fists clenched and unclenched over and over at my sides.

Touch him? Don’t touch him?

Unable to deny myself, I moved closer, aligning my body with his. My hands gravitated of their own volition, melting to his tight abs and drifting upward, over his chest and up to his neck, where I held on for the ride.

His loud groan rumbled across my breasts, and his firm arms wound around my back, crushing me against him.

For the first time in my life, I surrendered and parted my lips, ready to welcome him in. Instead of tongues diving toward one another, Linc stilled and clamped his mouth shut. As I started to step away, he clenched my hips, holding me in place. He pressed his forehead to mine and slammed his eyes closed.

Kiss me, please.

AUTHOR Bio and Links:
C.C. Koen writes contemporary romance with a twist. An avid reader who enjoys mystery and suspense, her stories will never be what you expect. Determined to find adventure in her dreams and life, she enjoys skydiving, sailing and any activity that challenges her. Teacher by day, romance writer at night produce an active imagination that comes to life in her writing. Intensity is her debut novel.

Author Social Links

WEBSITE: www.cckoen.com






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GIVEAWAY:
The author will be awarding a $10 Amazon or B/N GC to a randomly drawn winner via rafflecopter during this tour and the Blurb Blitz tour.  The more you comment, the better your chances of winning. The tour dates can be found here: 
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6 comments:

  1. Enjoyed reading your guest post today. It's always interesting when the author gives us a few peeks inside the making of a book.

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  2. Thank you for participating in the Intensity tour.

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  3. I really enjoyed your comments on picking names for your characters, After reading the excerpt, I would say that they really fit.

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  4. I love the excerpt. Sounds like a great book

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